The front of the North Korean Embassy in Rome.

By Yi Whan-woo

A North Korean diplomat who disappeared in early November with his family is believed to be seeking asylum in a third country.

Multiple South Korean intelligence and diplomatic officials said Friday they "cannot confirm" whether North Korea's acting ambassador to Italy, Jo Song-gil, was seeking asylum in a Western country.

"And that should be seen as 'yes' to the question," a source said. The source claimed that the officials, for confidentiality reasons, typically say an issue "cannot be confirmed" when asked about sensitive security matters that are true.

A National Intelligence Service (NIS) official speculated that Cho and his family were staying in Italy and were being protected by its government.

It remains unclear where Cho is seeking asylum. But the official claimed it would not be South Korea because Cho had not contacted the South Korean government.

"We have not been contacted by Cho, nor have we been in touch with him, since he disappeared in November," the official said.

Meanwhile, an official at the Italian Embassy in Seoul said Cho was replaced with another North Korean diplomat, Kim Chon, on Nov. 20 last year.

It remains unclear whether Kim had already been working at the embassy or was newly sent there.

Jo disappeared in early November with his family after leaving the embassy.

If the envoy were to defect, it would be another high-profile case following that of North Korea's deputy ambassador to the U.K. Thae Yong-ho, who defected to South Korea in 2016.