US ouster of Maduro nightmare scenario for Kim: N. Korean ex-diplomatListen to this articleLee Il-kyu, a former North Korean diplomat stationed in Cuba, who defected to South Korea in November 2023, poses for a photo during an interview with AFP in Seoul. But the ex-diplomat, who defected to the South in November 2023, told AFP that Maduro's ouster will now spark panic among North Korea's security-obsessed leadership. Being denied opportunities after refusing to bribe a superior was the final straw, he told AFP. Cuban authorities would have been obliged to hand him over to North Korea -- a death sentence. Such an outcome would be unthinkable in North Korea.

Source: Bangkok Post January 28, 2026 18:12 UTC