North Korea, in a vitriolic response on Saturday, claimed that the “human scum” had embezzled state funds, raped a minor and spied for the South and had fled “for fear of legal punishment for his crimes”.
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The official Korean Central News Agency also accused Seoul of using the defection of Thae Yong Ho, formerly a minister at the North Korean Embassy in London, for propaganda aimed at insulting the North Korean leadership.
The incident was exacerbated by the fact that Britain, in disregard of worldwide extradition practices, ignored the DPRK’s request to send Thae back, but instead handed him over to South Korea, which is keen on North-South confrontation.
Thae is the highest ranking diplomatic official to ever defect to South Korea.
In another high-profile case, South Korea said last week that North Korea’s deputy ambassador to Britain and his family had defected to Seoul. In 1997, the North Korean ambassador to Egypt fled but resettled in the United States.
The unnamed official said that given Kim’s character the situation was now “very dangerous”.
The exchange of fire resulted from heightened tensions sparked by the land mine attack by North Korea that injured two South Korean soldiers.
The South Korean government has called on the public to stay alert against a growing possibility of terror attacks by North Korea. They made headlines when they arrived in the South in April as the largest group defection for years.
The ministry also noted that three defectors were recently abducted by the North, including 53-year old Ko Hyun-chul, in the area.
Most South Korean analysts say it’s premature to take the defections of Thae and other senior officials as indicators that the unity of North Korea’s ruling elite is starting to crack because there are no significant signs that Kim’s grip on power is weakening.
“In the past, South Korea has been insane about military provocations driven by a war fever to invade North Korea, but the latest shelling exercise which involved so many artillery units lurking along the front-line is unprecedented”, the North’s ruling-party-published paper said.
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North Korea recently has expressed anger at a US plan to place an advanced missile defense system in South Korea.
