A North Korean spy agency colonel fled to the South last year

The South Korean government confirmed on Monday that a North Korean colonel of a spy agency defected to the South last year.

Moon Sang-gyun, spokesperson of South Korea’s Defense Ministry, said in the briefing, “It is true (that a North Korean colonel defected to the South),” but declined to give more detailed information. He said that relevant ministries are under collaboration on the issue to a question whether the information was shared with other departments.

Jeong Joon-hee of South Korea’s Unification Ministry also admitted the fact. The defector is known to be the highest ranking officer who escaped the North so far. He is known to have revealed North Korean espionage operation activities by the agency in detail during government questioning.

The military spy agency is the foundation for North Korea’s espionage missions against the South, which launched in February 2009. It belongs to the General Staff Department of the DPRK army, it is a core department directly reporting to the leader Kim Jong Un.

The agency led many of the biggest provocations including the assassination attempt of former secretary of labor party Hwang Jang Yop, the sinking of the Cheonan warship, the Yeonpyeong Island shooting and DMZ landmine. It was also behind the recent GPS attack and smartphone hackings of the South Korean government figures.

The agency was under leadership of Kim Yong Chol, one of the hardliners of the military, since its launch. Kim is known to be continuing the role even after taking over the position of Kim Yang Gon who led the United Front Department at the ruling Workers' Party, since his sudden death last year. Some experts reckon that State Security Minister Kim Won Hong, a right-arm of Kim Jong Un, has been lately involved in the agency’s operations.