A North Korean Defector SharesThoughts On Diplomacy With U.S.

When Kim Hyun-woo stepped into the NPR studios in Washington, he was doing something that in his past life would have gotten him killed - speaking frankly with an American journalist.

That's because Mr. Kim spent 17 years working for North Korean intelligence at the Ministry of State Security.

He defected in 2014 and lives today in South Korea.

In a rare glimpse behind the curtain of one of the most isolated countries in the world, he shared his thoughts on pathways to diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang, possible successors to Kim Jong Un and his fears for loved ones who remain in North Korea.

Kim Hyun-woo spoke with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly in an exclusive interview.

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