A diplomat working in the London embassy of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) left his post for a third country earlier this month, South Korean media reported on Tuesday, citing an anonymous source.

“A DPRK diplomat in London is going through procedures to seek asylum in a third country,” the JoongAng Ilbo said. “The DPRK Embassy made belated attempts to figure out the diplomat’s whereabouts, but has failed.”

The report said the unnamed diplomat had been previously tasked with keeping track of North Korean defectors who had settled down in London’s environs, as well as regularly handling consular