South Korean Spy Agency Says Ex-North Foreign Minister 'Purged' - Reports

The South Korean intelligence agency confirmed a Japanese media report that claimed the North's former foreign minister, Ri Yong Ho, was "purged" last year, South Korean media said Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th January, 2023) The South Korean intelligence agency confirmed a Japanese media report that claimed the North's former foreign minister, Ri Yong Ho, was "purged" last year, South Korean media said Thursday.

Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun daily reported Wednesday that North Korea executed Ri and several other diplomats between the summer and fall of 2022.

It cited sources as saying that the officials had all worked at the North Korean embassy in the United Kingdom.

Youn Kun-young, a lawmaker from the South Korean opposition Democratic Party, told reporters on Thursday that the "purge" had been confirmed by the National Intelligence Service. The agency could not say whether he was executed.

Ri headed the North Korean foreign ministry between 2016 and 2020 and played a key role in negotiations held in preparation for the 2018 and 2019 summits between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump.