Hong Won-myong, the son of North Korean diplomat Hong Sun-gyong, is shown following his release from the North Korean embassy, at a press conference at the Foreign Ministry in Bangkok March 23 in 1999.
Thailand earlier ordered the deportation of six North Korean diplomats for suspected involvement in the case. Hong and his mother and father disappeared from the embassy February 19 in an attempt to defect but were later caught by their North Korean pursuers and put in a van headed for neighbouring Laos.
This situation undermined relations between both countries. Hong and his family are living in an undisclosed country. During a time, they were based in South Korea.
