
Thae Yong-ho is the highest-ranking diplomat to have ever defected from North Korea. As the country’s former deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom, Thae had the freedom to access information that few North Koreans ever see. As a result, he began to doubt Kim Jong-un’s regime and officially defected with his two sons in 2016. Thae has witnessed the beginnings of low-level dissent among North Koreans and has hope that the country will transform with the help of an information revolution.