In response to the accusations made by South Korea’s intelligence service, Seoul has raised its alert level for diplomatic missions in five countries. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) stated that they had detected signs of North Korea planning terrorist attacks against South Korean embassy personnel or citizens in China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
The NIS revealed that North Korea had sent agents to these countries to increase surveillance on South Korean embassies and were also searching for South Korean citizens who could be potential terrorist targets. This information prompted South Korea to raise its anti-terrorism alert level for its embassies in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, as well as its consulates in Shenyang, China, and Vladivostok, Russia. These locations also house North Korean diplomatic representations.
The threats are believed to be connected to a wave of defections from North Korean expatriates who were stranded abroad due to the Covid-19 pandemic and are now trying to avoid returning to North Korea. Defection is punishable by severe penalties in North Korea, not only for the defector but also for their families and anyone linked to the defector. The NIS suspects that North Korean diplomats are sending false reports to Pyongyang, accusing South Korea of encouraging defections, in order to avoid being indirectly held responsible and punished.
As a result of these allegations, it is possible that the North Korean regime may be preparing to retaliate against South Korean diplomats. Last year saw 196 North Koreans arrive in South Korea through defectors or other means – the highest number since 2017 – with some being part of North Korea’s elite such as diplomats and their families. In recent times, Kim Jong Un has declared South Korea as his country’s “main enemy” and deemed any prospect of reunification as futile.