A high-level North Korean diplomat in Kuwait defected to South Korea, multiple government sources confirmed to NK News. 

The diplomat, Ryu Hyun-woo, is an acting ambassador or former chargé d’affaires at the North Korean embassy in Kuwait. News of his defection was first reported by South Korea’s Maeil Kyungje newspaper on Monday, with informed sources telling NK News that the report is true but not specifying the date or time of his escape.

However, Maeil Kyungje and other South Korean news organizations reported that Ryu defected with his wife and child in Sept. 2019, shortly after the former chargé