Former North Korean Diplomat in Cuba Smuggled Cuban Cigars to China

Ri Il Kyu, a former North Korean diplomat aged 52, who was responsible for political affairs at the North Korean Embassy in Havana until he escaped to South Korea in November, has admitted to engaging in the illegal trafficking of Cuban cigars to China to support his family. With a monthly salary of $500 that was insufficient in Cuba, Ri managed to smuggle Cuban cigars to China to supplement his income in Havana, according to a recent interview with the British network BBC. However, he did not provide further details on the modus operandi of his operations or how he acquired the cigars.

Ri Il Kyu is the highest-ranking official to defect from North Korea since 2016. In his first interview with a Western media outlet, Ri revealed details about the Kim Jong-un regime and North Korea's complex international relations. Ri admitted that when he first met Kim Jong Un, he was "trembling with nerves," but after seven meetings with the North Korean leader, he described Kim, at least outwardly, as someone "smiling and in good spirits." However, Ri has no doubts that Kim is capable of anything to ensure his survival, even at the expense of his own people. "He could have been a wonderful person and a father, but being turned into a god has made him monstrous," he said.

North Korea and Donald Trump

According to Ri, North Korea sees the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House as a "once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity" to negotiate regarding its nuclear program, despite the failed talks between Trump and Kim in 2019. Ri asserts that any attempt to freeze North Korea's nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions would be "100% deceitful" and would only strengthen the regime.

Erosion of Loyalty Towards Kim Jong-un

Ri stated that genuine loyalty to Kim Jong-un has significantly declined in North Korea, with a population increasingly aware of the differences between their country and the prosperous South. Although the regime has intensified laws against consuming South Korean content, Ri does not believe this can stop the growing discontent among the North Korean population.

Ri Il Kyu's dangerous escape from Havana to South Korea, accompanied by his wife and son, occurred in early November 2023. When questioned about the reasons that led him to consider defection, the former diplomat cited several factors, including the unfair evaluation of his efforts and the demand for bribes by the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Additionally, both his parents and in-laws had passed away in North Korea, leaving no immediate family vulnerable to reprisals. The final straw was his denied request to go to Mexico for medical treatment unavailable in Cuba.

The ex-diplomat recounted that by mid-2023, he was seriously contemplating defection and lost seven kilograms in three months due to stress. Finally, six hours before the escape, he informed his wife and son that they would be changing countries. Ri Il Kyu has not implicated any Cuban entity in his escape, but it is hard to believe there was no Cuban involvement in his plan. Among Ri's duties at the embassy was to prevent South Korea and Cuba from establishing diplomatic relations. Interestingly, just three months later, in February of this year, South Korea and the Cuban government restored diplomatic relations and are currently in the process of opening embassies in both nations.

Ri joined the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1999 and received praise from Kim Jong-un for successfully negotiating with Panama to lift the detention of a North Korean ship caught transporting weapons from Cuba in 2013.