RUTHFULLY YOURS

Mr. Thae was the No. 2 diplomat at North Korea’s embassy in London when he defected in 2016, saying that he wanted his two sons to grow up in freedom. He has since traveled the world as a critic of the Kim regime and what he sees as the world’s tepid response to its provocations. Pyongyang returns the compliment by calling him “human scum.” He lives under 24-7 guard to protect against assassination by North Korean agents.

Mr. Thae is the first North Korean to be directly elected by South Korea voters as their representative. Another escapee, Ji Seong-ho, won a seat in the National Assembly this week as a proportional representative. Mr. Ji, a human-rights activist and amputee, is best known in the U.S. for raising his crutches in a triumphant gesture at the 2018 State of the Union address.

Both men are affiliated with South Korea’s main conservative United Future Party, which lost seats this week to President Moon Jae-in’s ruling Democratic Party of Korea. They vow to work for tougher policies toward North Korea.

The affluent lifestyle portrayed in the “Gangnam Style” video is outside the ken of all but the few North Koreans who travel in Kim family circles. Most struggle to feed themselves and their families. Mr. Thae has often said he believes the North Korean people will rise up to overturn the regime that keeps them in chains. If so, he and Mr. Ji will be well-placed to help their former countrymen understand how democracy works.