"In 2016, Thae Yong-ho, the North Korean Deputy Ambassador to the UK, defected to South Korea. In this book, he reveals the truth of what he saw during his career as a North Korean ambassador, and why he decided to leave. Thae is the highest-ranking diplomat who has defected to South Korea in history. The Passcode to the Third Floor, a best-seller in South Korea, is a tell-all exposé on North Korean politics and diplomacy over the regime of three generations of the Kim dynasty. This unflinching account reveals his thoughts on the Kim family and their close associates on the "Third Floor"-the group of members who are in charge of the glorification of Kim Jong Un and protecting its regime"--

Yong-ho, Thae; Lauler, Robert

Columbia Business School Publishing

King's Crown Paperbacks

United States, United States of America

US, 2024

Thae Yong-ho was a leading North Korean diplomat to the United Kingdom and Northern Europe—until his dramatic defection to South Korea in 2016. In this gripping tell-all, he reveals the inner workings of the North Korean regime and shares the story of his decision to leave.
Thae spent nearly three decades working under three generations of the ruling Kim dynasty after entering the foreign service as an idealistic twenty-seven-year-old "red warrior" eager to strive for the "socialist motherland." During this time, he witnessed the arbitrary and tyrannical rule of the Kim family and the enigmatic "Third Floor," a powerful group of high-ranking officials. Thae provides up-close portraits of the excesses of the North Korean elite and the depths of the cult of personality around the Kims, describing experiences such as concocting reports of Europeans celebrating the birthdays of Kim Il-sung or Kim Jong-il and escorting Kim Jong-un's older brother to Eric Clapton concerts in London. He also details the economic and political consequences of North Korea's pursuit of the bomb and the immiseration of the vast majority of the population.
Today a politician in South Korea who advocates unification, Thae offers a powerful plea for the families torn apart by the conflict—including his own, as his brother and sister likely now languish in prison camps. A best-seller in South Korea, Passcode to the Third Floor is an unparalleled look at North Korean politics and diplomacy, giving readers intimate access to the regime's innermost secrets.

2024-05-12