Top North Korean official defects over 'disgust' with Kim Jong Un

Officials in Seoul confirmed Wednesday that senior North Korean diplomat Thae Yong Ho has defected to South Korea. Thae, deputy minister at the North Korean Embassy in London, is believed to be "the highest-ranking North Korean official ever to defect," BBC reported.

Thae, who had been tasked with defending North Korean leadership's reputation, reportedly defected "because of his disgust with the government of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, his yearning for South Korean democracy, and worries about the future of his children," The Associated Press reported.

The defection of someone as senior as Thae could indicate "growing internal skepticism about the strength of the Kim Jong Un regime," Ramon Pacheco Pardo, a lecturer at King's College London, told The Associated Press. Pardo also suggested Thae's defection could offer an inroad into North Korea for the U.S. and other countries. "The defection of a diplomat would allow intelligence services and military forces in other countries to learn more about the level of support that Kim Jong Un enjoys, recent developments in North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, or the extent to which real economic reforms are being implemented," Pardo said.

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Thae and his family are under the South Korean government's protection.