Ko Young-hwan, a former North Korean diplomat who defected to South Korea in 1991, was tapped as a special advisor to Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho on Wednesday.

Minister Kim made the appointment citing his expertise in information analysis on the North.

Ko will be advising the minister on inter-Korean affairs, as well as helping people better understand the situation in North Korea.

Ko previously worked as a French interpreter for the late North Korean founder Kim Il-sung and was the first North Korean diplomat ever to defect to the South.
He also served as the vice chief of the state-run Institute for National Security Strategy in Seoul.