CIA Director Met With NKorean Defector, Discussed Plot Against Kim

CIA Director Mike Pompeo met with a high-ranking North Korean defector and discussed with him a plot to topple Kim Jong Un, The Washington Free Beacon reported.

Pompeo met with Thae Yong Ho when the director visited South Korea earlier this month, the Beacon reported.

The two discussed whether conditions in North Korea existed that might foment an action to remove the dictator, with Thae telling Pompeo he believed there were, the Free Beacon reported.

The Free Beacon also reported Pompeo is taking steps to make the agency more aggressive in its espionage and covert operations, with the North Korea situation in his crosshairs.

Thae defected in 2016 after a stint working in the North Korean embassy in London, and has been the source of perspective since then on what may be going on inside Pyongyang.

Most recently, Thae has publicly offered counsel to the rest of the world regarding North Korea's nuclear capabilities and the mentality of Kim to use them.

• Senior NKorean Defector Says His 2 Sons Were Reason to Flee
• North Korea Calls Diplomat Defector 'Human Scum'