In recent developments, South Korea’s intelligence agency has accused North Korea of planning “terrorist” attacks against its embassies and citizens in several countries. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) stated that they had detected signs of North Korean operatives targeting South Korean embassy personnel or citizens in China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
As a result, Seoul has raised its anti-terrorism alert level for its diplomatic missions in five countries. The NIS suspects that North Korean diplomats are sending false reports to Pyongyang accusing South Korea of encouraging defections to avoid being punished.
The threats are believed to be linked to a wave of defectors from North Korean expatriates stranded abroad due to the Covid-19 pandemic who are now trying to avoid returning home. Defecting from North Korea is punishable by severe penalties not only for the defector but also for their families and anyone linked to them.
Last year, 196 North Koreans arrived in South Korea, the highest number since 2017, with some being part of North Korea’s elite such as diplomats and their families. Recently, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared South Korea as his country’s “main enemy” and deemed any prospect of reunification as futile.