Ri Il Gyu, a former political counselor at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba who defected to South Korea last November, speaks near a photo showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, and his late father Kim Jong Il during an interview with The Associated Press at the Associated Press bureau in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Ri Il Gyu, a former political counselor at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba who defected to South Korea last November, arrives for an interview with The Associated Press at the Associated Press bureau in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Ri Il Gyu, a former political counselor at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba who defected to South Korea last November, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Associated Press bureau in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Ri Il Gyu, a former political counselor at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba who defected to South Korea last November, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the Associated Press bureau in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)