Anchor: The Unification Ministry in Seoul says Thae Yong-ho, a minister at the North Korean embassy in London, recently arrived in South Korea with his family members. In the wake of media reports that the number two North Korean diplomat in London was seeking asylum in a third country, the ministry said that the 55-year-old chose South Korea as he is disillusioned with the North Korean regime.
Kim Bum-soo has the latest. 

Report: After media reports about his defection to a third country, the minister of the North Korean embassy in London, Thae Yong-ho, is now confirmed to be in South Korea.

Seoul's Unification Ministry on Wednesday announced the North Korean diplomat's recent entry into the country.

[Sound bite: Unification Ministry Spokesman Jeong Joon-hee (Korean)]
"[He is] under state custody and the relevant agency is taking necessary steps under customary procedures."

While correcting his name to 'Thae [YOUNG]-ho' from the previously reported 'Thae [YONG]-ho,' Ministry Spokesman Jeong Joon-hee said that the 55-year-old diplomat came with his family. 

The spokesman declined to elaborate on how many members of his family, apart from his wife, came with him and which countries he traveled to before reaching his final destination, citing possible diplomatic problems and safety concerns.

Thae is the highest-ranking North Korean diplomat to ever seek asylum in the South. Unification Ministry Deputy Spokeswoman Park Soo-jin told KBS World Radio that the number two North Korean official in the U.K. was disillusioned with his regime.

[Sound bite: Unification Ministry Deputy Spokeswoman Park Soo-jin (English)]
"Minister Thae's defection seems to reflect the spreading disillusionment among North Korea's elite that there is no hope under Kim Jong-un's leadership, and that the North Korean regime has reached its limit. It also indicates that the internal solidarity of North Korea's ruling class is weakening."

Thae served as deputy to the North Korean ambassador to London and was responsible for promoting the image of his country to the British public. 

In May of last year, Thae was seen closely accompanying North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's elder brother Jong-chul to an Eric Clapton concert in London.

Thae is said to have disappeared from his home in west London several weeks ago with his family. Officials said that concern over his children's future was also a factor in the diplomat's decision to come to South Korea. 

The defection follows a series of high-profile escapes by the North Korean elite after the UN Security Council toughened its sanctions on Pyongyang for its nuclear and missile tests earlier this year. 
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.