A North Korean atomic researcher who surrendered to China has committed suicide in the wake of being compelled to come back to his country, RFA reported Thursday. The turncoat was a scientist at the material science focus in the State Academy of Sciences in Pyongyang, however he never told his captors his identity
According to RFA. the scientist was identified as Hyun Cheoi Huh. but RFA clarified it wasnt sure if that was his real name. The man reportedly took a leave of absence from his job at the academy before defecting.
He was sent back to North Korea Nov. 17.
“He killed himself only a few hours after he was placed in solitary confinement at the State Security Department in Sinuiju city,” a source told RFA, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “He died before he could be questioned about the reasons for his escape, and what his route had been.”
The man took poison inside the security cell where he was set to be questioned. However, it remained unclear how he smuggled the poison inside his cell.
The man was detained in China and sent back to North Korea. It appeared he had kept his occupation a secret when he was detained, RFA reported.
For whatever reason, the defector had kept it to himself that he was a nuclear scientist when he was captured by the Chinese police, who had been tipped off to the group by a North Korean state security agent posing as a defector, the source said.
“If the Chinese government had known who he was, they would have wanted to learn what he knew and would never have sent him back,” the source said.
Credit: Radio Free Asia
