A high-ranking North Korean diplomat, Ri Il Kyu, stationed in Cuba, defected to South Korea in November 2023, months before Seoul and Havana established diplomatic relations.

Ri Il Kyu was in charge of political affairs at the embassy of Pyongyang in Havana and was tasked with obstructing the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Cuba. He defected with his wife and children after the North Korean regime refused to approve his medical treatment in Mexico following an injury.