More North Korean elites are “disillusioned” with the Kim Jong-un regime, as they feel anxious on concerns that any small mishap could deprive them of their lives under his leadership, a former North Korean diplomat said Tuesday.
Ri Il-gyu, a former counselor of political affairs at the North Korean Embassy in Cuba, made the remark in a session during the Global Korea Forum (GKF), a global forum hosted by the unification ministry and designed to garner international support for South Korea’s bid for peaceful unification.
“Perception by the North’s elite group toward the regime has changed a lot,” Ri said. “They are disillusioned with Kim’s impromptu behaviors. Even with doing something wrong a little bit, North Korea shoots them to death.”
He also said Kim’s “war on corruption” has only led to bribery becoming a more prevalent survival tactic among high-ranking North Korean officials.
“North Korean people do not have any expectations for the regime. They believe that what enables them to survive is marke
ts, not the (ruling Workers’) Party,” Ri said.
Despite growing skepticism about the regime, Ri claimed North Koreans cannot easily stand up against it due to the country’s cobweb-like surveillance system and a reign of terror.
Source: Yonhap News Agency