Thae Yong-ho is the first North Korean defector elected as a lawmaker in South Korea.
The 300 members of the National Assembly in South Korea consists of 253 directly contested seats and 47 proportional representation positions.Tae has drawn international attention four years ago, seeking asylum in South Korea while serving as North Korea’s deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom.
"North Korea is a totalitarian system. There is no such thing as a candidate visiting people, or appealing to get support. Every representative of the assembly is appointed by Kim Jong Un," Tae said. This picture taken on March 24, 2020 shows North Korean defector and human rights activist Ji Seong-ho, who is running for a proportional representation seat for South Korea's main opposition United Future Party, posing at his office in Seoul.
Tae has acknowledged that there were those who question his qualifications to be a lawmaker in South Korea. Some critics have called Tae a"commie" and questioned whether he still has allegiances to North Korea. Tae directly rebutted those accusations."Kim Jong Un is the person who will be most unhappy when I become a lawmaker in South Korea. It does not make sense to call me a 'commie,'" Tae said during his campaign speech to Gangnam residents.
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