<Anchor> It
was found that former North Korean ambassador Cho Sung-gil, who had been in Italy last year, has been staying in Korea since last July. As the first ambassador-level diplomat's asylum after the Kim Jong-un regime and the North Korean leader's return to Korea, it is noteworthy how it will affect inter-Korean relations.
This is Kim Tae-hoon.
<Reporter>
The actions of former Italian ambassador Cho Seong-gil in North Korea, who disappeared ahead of their term of office in early November 2018, have been confirmed in more than two years.
Several members of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee said that former Ambassador Cho is in South Korea.
Congressman Ha Tae-kyung, a secretary of the opposition party's intelligence committee, said through social media that the time of entry was last July, and it was identified as being protected by the authorities.
It means that I came to Korea after about 8 months of staying in Italy, but it means I have been staying there for more than a year.
The National Intelligence Service reported to the National Assembly Intelligence Service that former Ambassador Cho left Italy in August of last year and is being protected somewhere.
Deputy Ambassador Cho's secret was revealed just a month before the North American Summit in Hanoi, causing a wave in diplomats at the time.
Former Ambassador Cho's daughter was confirmed to have returned to North Korea just four days after he and his wife left the embassy, which led to controversy about forcible repatriation.
As the fact of North Korean diplomats staying in Korea is confirmed late, attention is paid to whether it will be a variable in inter-Korean relations.