Free Joseon, a clandestine anti-North Korea political group, helped Pyongyang’s top diplomat in Italy go into hiding in November 2018, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

It said Free Joseon arranged a car and a safe house for Jo Song-gil, who was then acting ambassador to Rome, and his wife, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Jo, who had told colleagues he was going for a stroll, got into the car with his wife at the embassy compound and fled to a safe house, leaving their daughter behind. A secret member of Free Joseon drove the car.

Jo is reportedly seeking political asylum in a Western country at an undisclosed location. His daughter was repatriated to the North shortly after he and his wife had gone missing, according to Italy’s Foreign Ministry.

Free Joseon, which was established in 2017 and called Cheollima Civil Defense, supports North Korean defectors and accuses leader Kim Jong-un of torturing its people and backing terrorism The group was reportedly involved in the raid on the North Korean Embassy in Spain on Feb. 22 a year ago.

By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)