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South Korea’s president appointed a former North Korean diplomat to the position of vice minister on Thursday, the highest-level government role for one of the thousands of North Korean defectors who have resettled in South Korea. Tae Yong-ho, who was serving as a minister at the North Korean Embassy in London, defected to South Korea in 2016 read more
 "Who is North Korean defector Tae Yong-ho made vice minister in South Korea?")
Tae Yongho, a former minister of the North Korean Embassy in London who fled to South Korea in 2016, speaks to the media in Seoul, South Korea, February 19, 2019. File Image/AP
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol appointed Tae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat, as a vice minister on July 18, marking the highest-level government position held by any of the approximately 34,000 North Korean defectors who have resettled in South Korea.
Tae, who defected in 2016 while serving as a minister at the North Korean Embassy in London, is now the secretary general of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, a body that advises the president on policies for the peaceful reunification of Korea.
Yoon’s office stated, “He is the right person to help establish a peaceful unification policy based on liberal democracy and garner support from home and abroad.”
Who is Tae Yong-ho?
Born on July 25, 1962, in Pyongyang, Tae Yong-ho, also known by his pseudonym Tae Ku-min, which means “saving people” in Korean, echoing his sentiment to “rescue North Korean people.” He was educated extensively abroad, studying in Beijing, China, where he learned English and attended the Affiliated High School of Beijing Foreign Studies University.
He later completed his undergraduate studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University and continued his education at the Pyongyang University of Foreign Studies upon returning to North Korea.
Tae’s diplomatic career began in the 1980s, and he quickly rose through the ranks to become North Korea’s deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom, until he defected in 2016.
In South Korea, Tae has been a vocal advocate for the dissemination of outside information to undermine the North Korean regime. He has frequently spoken about the regime’s vulnerabilities and the potential for a people’s uprising. Tae has also testified before the US House Foreign Relations Committee, highlighting the importance of soft power in weakening Kim Jong-un’s rule.
Tae’s memoir, “Cryptography From the Third-Floor Secretariat,” published in 2018, offers a rare glimpse into the life of a North Korean diplomat and has become a bestseller in South Korea. The book provides a balanced and detailed account of the North Korean system and Tae’s experiences within it.
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Tae is married to O Hye-son, a relative of Kim Il Sung’s comrade in arms, O Paek-ryong. The couple has two sons, one of whom graduated from a British university while the other studied at a London school before their defection.
Tae’s family has faced significant personal sacrifices, including the separation from relatives left behind in North Korea. He has expressed deep concern for their well-being, stating, “I’m sure that my relatives and my brothers and sisters are either sent to remote, closed areas or to prison camps, and that really breaks my heart.”
Why did Tae Yong-ho defect?
Tae Yong-ho defected to South Korea in 2016, driven by his desire to protect his children from the “miserable” lives they would have led in North Korea and his despair over Kim Jong-un’s executions of officials and the regime’s nuclear ambitions. He stated, “I did not want my children to grow up in such an oppressive environment.”
North Korea reacted strongly to Tae’s defection, branding him “human scum” and accusing him of embezzling government money and committing other crimes. Despite these accusations, Tae successfully resettled in South Korea, where he has become a prominent figure in politics and a vocal critic of the North Korean regime.
How did Tae’s journey in South Korean politics begin?
In 2020, Tae was elected to South Korea’s National Assembly as a member of the People Power Party, representing the affluent district of Gangnam in Seoul.
He was the first former North Korean to be directly elected to South Korea’s National Assembly. He failed to secure a second term in the elections in April this year.
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Tae served on the parliamentary foreign policy and unification committee, using his experiences to advocate for a peaceful unification policy.
In his new vice-ministerial role, Tae is expected to leverage his unique insights and firsthand experiences of life in North Korea. His appointment is seen as a strategic move to enhance policies related to North Korean defectors and the broader goal of Korean reunification.
What does Tae think of North Korea?
Tae has been an outspoken critic of the North Korean regime since his defection. He has highlighted the regime’s human rights abuses and the oppressive nature of Kim Jong-un’s rule. In various interviews, he has stated, “Kim Jong-un’s regime will one day collapse by a people’s uprising,” and has called for international efforts to disseminate outside information to weaken the regime.
He has also advocated for practical measures to improve relations between the two Koreas. Tae has encouraged the South Korean government to consider prisoner swaps, stating, “Our people’s lives matter.”
Despite the significant support provided by the South Korean government to North Korean defectors, including citizenship, subsidised housing, and resettlement funds, many defectors face substantial challenges in adjusting to South Korea’s competitive, capitalistic society. Discrimination and cultural differences often create barriers to successful integration.
Yoon has pledged to enhance support for defectors, promising greater government assistance during the inaugural “North Korean Defectors’ Day” celebrated on July 14.
With inputs from agencies
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English (US) ·