The South Korean Ministry of Unification (MOU) on Monday declined to confirm the details of Choi In-guk’s defection to Pyongyang over the weekend, just a day after the news was reported by a North Korean state-run outlet.

Uriminzokkiri, an externally-focused outlet primarily targeting South Koreans, on Sunday reported that South Korean citizen Choi “arrived in Pyongyang on July 6 to permanently reside in the DPRK.”

Choi is the second son of Ryu Mi Yong, chairwoman of the Central Committee of the Chondoist Chongu Partyand member of the 13th Presidium of Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA), who died of