Another trusted member of North Korea's elite has reportedly fled the regime and is now being sheltered by a European government.

According to South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo, an official tasked with managing the regime's secret funds in Europe had disappeared in June, along with his two sons.

It is the latest in a series of high-profile desertions that have prompted a vicious backlash in Pyongyang.

The official - who has not been named - was a member of the Workers' Party of Korea and had lived in Europe for the past 20 years, an indication of the trust that was placed in his loyalty.