Acting North Korean Ambassador to Italy Jo Song-gil, who disappeared with his family last November, escaped to a third country but was discovered by Italian intelligence officials and taken back to Italy to be placed in protective custody, the Corriere della Sera reported Saturday.

The newspaper said Jo was ordered to return to Pyongyang in September last year but disappeared as he was handing over his duties to his successor.

The Italian government is not giving out any details on Jo's whereabouts. Some media reported that North Korea dispatched secret agents to Rome to find him but failed. The U.S. government declined to comment on Italian media reports saying that Jo had escaped there. One source said, "It's not true that Jo had already fled to the U.S. He is still believed to be in Italy."

Former U.S. nuclear negotiator Christopher Hill said in an interview with Radio Free Asia that the U.S. government "would not reject" a request for asylum by Jo, since it is a "humanitarian issue." But Hill added that Jo would have to undergo thorough vetting to determine the motive of his defection because of his status as a North Korean government official with close ties to the leader. Hill speculated that it could take "months" just to complete the debriefing.

Meanwhile, Thae Yong-ho, the former deputy ambassador to the U.K. who fled to South Korea in 2016, wrote in an open letter to Jo on his blog, "My wife and children remember the guided tour you took us on... when we visited Italy in January of 2008."

"My kids say they wish [your] family could come to Seoul too." Thae became friendly with Jo when they both worked in Europe. "It is not a choice but a duty for North Korean diplomats to come to [South] Korea. I hope that news reports that you are seeking to defect to the U.S. are not true."

"Let's join hands in Seoul and topple the vested powers in the North and unify our nation," Thae added. "If you come to Seoul, more of our colleagues will also follow."

But Washington and Seoul could face complications in denuclearization talks with North Korea if they choose to accept Jo's defection. North Korea has typically bristled at any defections from the elite.

Earlier, the National Intelligence Service told lawmakers that it has not contacted Jo. Some critics pointed out that the NIS did not need to make such comments and that the purpose was to appease North Korea. One diplomatic source said, "If Jo clearly intends to defect, there would be no reason for the U.S. or South Korea to refuse, but they will find it difficult to actively make an offer to Jo."

Hill said Jo's defection will not have a "direct negative impact" on inter-Korean or U.S.-North Korean relations but could become a "sensitive issue" in future talks with the North.

