A former high-ranking North Korean diplomat, Ri Il-gyu, has criticized the ruling Kim dynasty, claiming that Kim Jong Un’s leadership is accelerating the decline of the North Korean regime.
In a recent interview with South Korean news outlet The Chosun Daily, Ri, who defected to South Korea last year, described the future of the North Korean system as “bleak.”
Ri, previously a political attaché at North Korea’s embassy in Cuba, highlighted that North Korea’s diplomacy under Kim Jong Un has become increasingly isolated, focusing solely on preserving the Kim family’s power. Since assuming control in 2011, Kim has favored a “high-pressure” foreign policy, aligning with a select group of countries like China, Russia, and Iran, while pursuing aggressive nuclear and missile programs.
“Kim Jong Un is obsessed with nuclear and missile programs, using ‘cliffhanger tactics’ he learned from his father, Kim Jong Il,” Ri said, adding that even traditionally pro-North Korean countries like Cuba are distancing themselves from Pyongyang’s actions.
Ri’s remarks come at a time of heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, marked by North Korea’s continued ballistic missile tests and the suspension of a military pact aimed at reducing tensions with South Korea. The former diplomat’s defection was motivated by growing dissatisfaction with life in the North and a lack of recognition for his work within the diplomatic corps.
The Washington, D.C.-based Carnegie Endowment for Peace noted earlier this year that while a regime collapse in North Korea is not imminent, the country is “hollowing out,” and the Kim dynasty is in a state of decline.
