ROME – Political tension mounted in the Eternal City after reports that the daughter of North Korea's former envoy to Rome, Jo Song-Gil, was taken back to Pyongyang from Italy by force in November.

 The 17-year-old’s father, Jo Song-Gil, had gone missing in November in an act that was seen as an attempted defection. The operation to forcibly take his daughter back took place before she made an attempt to be reunited with her parents, according to a report by a South Korean news agency.

 The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) issued a statement Wednesday declaring that the girl asked to return to North Korea and her grandparents on Nov. 10, 2018, and was then accompanied back by embassy staff on Nov. 14. However, Former North Korean Ambassador to London, Thae Yong-ho, claims that the girl was in fact kidnapped.

 “Did North Korean intelligence kidnap the daughter of Ambassador Jo Song-Gil? Very serious incident,” tweeted Maria Edera Spadoni, a senior member of the Five Star Movement (M5S). Spadoni also called on Interior Minister Matteo Salvini to report to parliament on the case “as soon as possible.”

 Salvini declined this request Thursday, stating that he has nothing to do with the case. “Ask the foreign ministry … knew nothing about it. It's nothing to do with me,” he said.

 Foreign Ministry Undersecretary and M5S member Manlio Di Stefano compared the case to that of Alma Shalabayeva, the wife of Kazakh dissident Mukhtar Ablyazov who was abducted in Italy in 2013, allegedly with the help of Italian police. Shalabayeva and her daughter’s return to Italy six months after their controversial deportation caused an international scandal.

 “If confirmed, the story of Jo Song-Gil and his daughter, who was kidnapped by the North Korean intelligence in Italy, would be a case of unheard-of seriousness,” said Di Stefano. “Whoever is responsible will pay, you can be sure of that,” he added.

 Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero said that he could not yet comment as the ministry are still looking into what happened. “Afterwards we will draw the appropriate conclusions,” he said.

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