A vice minister of North Korea's foreign ministry, Kung Sok Ung, was recently removed from his position and banished to a collective farm in a rural area, South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo reported on Wednesday.

The paper said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reprimanded the 72-year-old Kung for issues including the defection of high-profile North Korean diplomat Thae Yong Ho, ordering his departure from the capital city as a result.