국정원 "北대사대리, 11월 초 공관 이탈해 부부 함께 잠적... 南에 연락 취한적 없어"

A senior North Korean diplomat who was working for Pyeongyang's embassy in Italy is reportedly seeking asylum and is under protection of the Italian authorities.
Major reason for this decision, is believed to be children's education matters -- similar to why a former minister at the North's embassy in London, Thae Yong-ho, defected to South Korea in 2016.
Oh Jung-hee gets us up to speed with the developments.
A senior North Korean diplomat in Italy disappeared from the mission last year... and is reportedly seeking asylum.
On Thursday, South Korean newspaper Joongang Ilbo reported, citing diplomatic sources,... that Jo Song-gil, the charge d'affaires of the North's Embassy in Rome,... applied for personal security protection from the Italian government early December.
He and his family are currently under the protection of Italian authorities.
Personal security protection is a diplomatic procedure aimed to prevent one being repatriated while seeking asylum in a third country.
Throughout the day, the South Korean government declined to confirm the matter, saying they have no information regarding the report.
But the nation's intelligence agency briefed lawmakers on the situation on Thursday.
Accordingly, lawmakers said that Jo disappeared with his wife from embassy grounds in early November last year... before he was due to finish his term later that month.
It is not yet clear whether Jo is hoping to defect to South Korea.
Seoul's intellence agency told lawmakers... that there has been no attempt to contact the government by Jo, while his whereabouts are yet to be confirmed.
Jo was dispatched to Italy in May 2015... and started to run the North Korean mission there in October 2017,... as the Italian government expelled the North's ambassador Mun Jong-nam after Pyeongyang's sixth nuclear test.
It's believed that Jo decided to seek asylum,... after he was ordered to return home.
A major reason is deemed to be the education of his children.
There have been two senior North Korean diplomats who sought asylum in a third country.
A former minister at the North's embassy in London, Thae Yong-ho, defected to South Korea in 2016.
And back in 1997, former North Korean ambassador to Egypt, Jang Sung-gil, defected to the U.S. with his family and his brother who served as Pyeongyang's trade representative in Paris.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.