North Korea is facing backlash from South Korea’s intelligence service, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), after being accused of plotting terrorist attacks against South Korean embassies and expatriates in five countries. The NIS has detected signs that North Korea is planning attacks on South Korean embassy personnel and citizens in China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
In response, South Korea has raised its anti-terrorism alert level for its embassies in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, as well as its consulates in Shenyang and Vladivostok. These locations are where North Korea also has diplomatic representations.
The threats are believed to be linked to a wave of defections from North Korean expatriates who were stranded abroad during the Covid-19 pandemic and are now trying to avoid returning to North Korea now that the borders are reopened. Defection is a serious crime in North Korea, punishable by severe penalties for not only the defector but also their families and anyone indirectly linked to them.
The NIS suspects that North Korean diplomats may be sending false reports to Pyongyang, accusing South Korea of inciting defections, in an attempt to avoid indirect responsibility and punishment. This has led to concerns that the North Korean regime could be preparing retaliation against South Korean diplomats. Last year, 196 North Koreans arrived in South Korea, the highest number since 2017, including diplomats and their families. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has recently declared South Korea the country’s “main enemy” with no hope of reunification.
