ROK and Inter-Korean relations November 2004

ROK and Inter-Korean relations

November 2004

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Administration wants to send envoy to North
November 29, 2004 ? In an attempt to jump-start the stalled talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program, and perhaps lay the groundwork for another inter-Korean summit, Seoul intends to send a special envoy to the North before the end of the year, high-ranking administration officials told the JoongAng Ilbo yesterday. "The envoy, if he goes, will urge the North to return to the six-nation talks as soon as possible, and to resume inter-Korean talks, which have been halted since August," a ranking Roh Moo-hyun administration official said on condition of anonymity. "We cannot rule out the possibility that the envoy will also deliver Mr. Roh's message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il about holding a summit."
S. Korea's "Cooperative Self-Reliant National Defence Plan" under Fire
Pyongyang, November 26 (KCNA) -- The Defence Ministry of south Korea on Nov. 18 made public a "cooperative self-reliant national defence plan" under which south Korea is required to undertake among other things the military duty so far performed by the U.S. imperialist aggression troops in south Korea depending on their "relocation", talking about "future-orientated development of cooperation" with the U.S. A spokesman for the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland in a statement Friday vehemently denounces the plan in the name of the whole Korean nation, terming it a very dangerous military step to put south Korea under the tighter U.S. military control and step up preparations for a war of aggression against the north.
The south Korean warhawks are whetting their swords for aggression to stifle the north by force of arms, paying lip-service to inter- Korean reconciliation and cooperation [Military balance]
Reunion Center Sees Progress
By Seo Dong-shin Staff Reporter Red Cross officials of South and North Korea agreed on some of the details for setting up a family reunion center at Mt. Kumgang, North Korea, in a meeting held at the North's scenic resort on Saturday, government officials said. Under the agreement, a land and geological survey for the site will be conducted from Dec. 10-21 for the construction of the reunion center, which has been stalled despite the conclusion of the implementation plans, according to the (South) Korean National Red Cross (KNRC).
Pyongyang Senses `Good Signs' From Seoul: UN Official
By Ryu Jin Staff Reporter North Korean officials accepted South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun's remarks in the United States last week as being ``objective,'' regarding them as ``positive signs'' to help enable resumption of the six-party nuclear talks, a top U.N. official said Thursday. U.N. General Assembly President Jean Ping, who came here after a weeklong visit to the North, said Pyongyang was well aware of the usefulness and importance of the six-party process, but wants a better atmosphere so it can return to the negotiation table. ``In short, what the North wants is the creation of a more favorable atmosphere,'' Ping said at a press conference at South Korea's Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry.
Roh Rebuffs Preparations for S-N Summit
By Shim Jae-yun Staff Reporter President Roh Moo-hyun said Thursday the government has not been taking substantial steps to prepare for the inter-Korean summit talks, rebuffing allegations South and North Korea have been seeking the summit in bids to find a solution to the continuing impasse over the North's nuclear weapons program. ``It is not the time to resolve the (nuclear) issue through the inter-Korean summit meeting,'' Roh said during a meeting with leaders of political parties and major state organizations at Chong Wa Dae. But he indicated there have been behind-the-scenes contacts between Seoul and Pyongyang to promote a favorable atmosphere in the inter-Korean summit meeting.
S. Korea Accepts N. Korea's Proposal for Red Cross Talks
[Yonhap,Nov.20th] South Korea's Red Cross on Saturday accepted North Korea's proposal to hold working-level talks next week to discuss technical issues for building a permanent meeting place for separated families, the local relief group said. North Korea's Red Cross chief Chang Jae-on sent a letter to South Korea Friday, proposing that a working Red Cross meeting be held at the North's resort, Mount Geumggang, for three days starting on Thursday.
Overview Of Intra-Korean Exchanges & Cooperation for September 2004
Red Cross to Discuss Technical Issues for Family Reunion Place
By Park Song-wu Staff Reporter Working-level inter-Korean Red Cross talks will begin at Mt. Kumgang, North Korea, Thursday for discussions on technical issues for building a permanent meeting place for separated families, the Unification Ministry in Seoul said.
Border Officers Face 'Light' Penalty Over Fence Cuts
By Yoon Won-sup Staff Reporter The Defense Ministry on Tuesday revealed ``light'' punishments will be imposed on the Army officers responsible for last month's wire- cutting episode along the border with North Korea. The disciplinary panel, which was held last Saturday, decided to deliver a written rebuke to the commander of an Army division in the area and order the chief of a regiment to undergo a weeklong reflection period according to Col. Ha Du-chul, a spokesman of the Army. The panel also ordered a one-tenth wage cut for the coming three months for the chief of one battalion and ordered a written rebuke of the heads of a company and a platoon, Ha added. ``The measures were imposed for violating their duties of diligence and neglecting their commanding and supervising missions,'' Ha told reporters. ``These are categorized as light punishments.'' The military's disciplinary measures range from a written rebuke, to confinement, a wage cut, suspension from office, demotion and finally discharge. The first three measures are considered ``light.'' Late last month, three holes were found in barbed-wire fences in the midsection of the land border, initially prompting speculation that North Korean agents may have infiltrated the South. However, military's investigation team later concluded the cuts were made by an unknown South Korean civilian who attempted to defect to North Korea. yoonwonsup@koreatimes.co.kr 11-23-2004 16:56
Aiding North Korean defectors becomes a business
November 22, 2004 ? In January last year, Jeon Mi-ae, a 50-year-old North Korean woman, crossed the frozen Tumen River into China, leaving her homeland in search of a better life. To make her escape less a matter of life and death, Ms. Jeon paid a 200,000 won ($187) bribe to North Korean border guards. They then told her when and where to sneak across the border. "I once hid inside a chicken coop to avoid a round-up by Chinese police," Ms. Jeon said. After months of hiding in China, Ms. Jeon found a broker who promised to help her reach South Korea. After Ms. Jeon signed a contract promising to pay 2.5 million won upon her arrival in the South, the broker arranged a boat trip for her from Nanjing to Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. In September last year, Ms. Jeon and 10 other defectors began their trip, and she, along with her companions, at last made it to Seoul in May. Paying a broker is a common practice among North Korean defectors in China who wish to come to South Korea. While some religious and human rights groups are known to make travel arrangements for refugees purely on humanitarian grounds, increasingly those seeking asylum are becoming a commodity in a profitable business, with the money coming from the settlement subsidies the South Korean government pays to newly arrived defectors
Lim Dong-won to Head Sejong Institute
A top aide to former President Kim Dae-jung and architect of the ``sunshine'' policy of engaging North Korea has been named head of the Sejong Institute, officials at the think tank said Sunday. Lim Dong-won, 71, will take over as chairman of the Sejong Foundation, which owns and operates the policy institute.
Rights Panel to End 1st Mission
By Moon Gwang-lip Staff Reporter The National Human Rights Commission of Korea is set to complete its three-year mission on Nov. 25. and will begin a new term soon to shed light on other human rights infringement cases that have been left in the shadow of past dictatorships. The first commission, inaugurated in November 2001, is considered to have played an active role in raising the level of public awareness on human rights issues. At the same time, it has also been criticized for a lack of substantial efforts to improve human rights conditions. The best accomplishment of the commission, according to civic groups and experts, is its recommendation to the government to scrap the National Security Law, a legacy of anti- communism whose existence has been disputed amid increasing inter-Korean trade and exchange.
South Korea Weighs Allowing Once-Taboo Support for the North
Debate Reflects Division Over Detente By Anthony Faiola Washington Post Foreign Service Monday, November 22, 2004; Page A16 SEOUL -- Labeled a subversive and trailed for decades by secret agents, Soon Na Chang, now a grandfatherly 72-year-old, has faced repeated arrests and years of imprisonment in his homeland of South Korea. In a nation standing on the Cold War's last frontier, his crimes ranked among the highest possible offenses: publicly praising North Korea. But with the pace of national reconciliation quickening between the two Koreas, South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun and his ruling Uri Party are pushing ahead with plans to repeal the National Security Law, which since 1948 has prohibited vocal support of North Korea as well as unauthorized communication or visits there by South Koreans.
Roh and his supporters say the law, long viewed as the dam preventing the North's communist ideology from washing over the Demilitarized Zone, has become an outdated affront to democracy and free speech. [National Security Law]
Is South ready for defectors?
The issue of North Korean defectors is gaining more attention as other nations are showing increased interest in the problem. Already, the United States, China and Mongolia have proved that they are ready to actively intervene. Mongolia recently announced that it would not repatriate North Korean defectors to China once they enter the Mongolian territory. After the passing of the North Korea Human Rights Act, the U.S. Department of State is now considering designating North Korean defectors as a "Priority 2" group, which allows them to apply for refugee status without a referral from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.
We often hear that there are middlemen in China that use North Korean defectors to make illegal profits from the government aid given to defectors. But it should not be used as an excuse to neglect those who are desperate to escape North Korea. The government should have a clear understanding that not everyone is being used by brokers. A separate measure is necessary to regulate the brokers instead, so that they may not get any money that should go to the defectors. The U.S. move to designate North Korean defectors as a Priority 2 group means that the United States is preparing for a possible mass exodus from North Korea. Since the United States intervenes in the defector issue in earnest, Korea must establish a network of cooperation with Washington. We are worried that the government is taking the situation lightly, while the United States is ready to intervene.
NK Refugees Seek New Path to Seoul
By Reuben Staines Staff Reporter Mongolian Foreign Minister Munkh-Orgil Tsend shone a ray of hope on the more than 100,000 North Korean refugees hiding out in China this week when he said his government will grant passage to all defectors who present themselves at its borders. But despite the bold offer, the refugees' passage to South Korea, through Mongolia or otherwise, still appears to be long and winding, according to activists and experts in Seoul.
NK Boat Intrudes Into Waters
A North Korean boat briefly violated the disputed West Sea border with South Korea Friday, the military said. The wooden motorboat intruded 0.9 miles into South Korean territorial waters at 1:40 p.m., as it was drifting in the area due to a fuel shortage and misjudgment of nautical routes, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a news release. The 0.5-ton boat returned to North Korean waters after a South Korean navy boat provided it with fuel and a compass, the office said. One North Korean man was aboard the boat, it said.
2 Koreas to Resume Red Cross Dialogue
By Yoon Won-sup Staff Reporter Red Cross officials from the two Koreas will meet next Thursday at Mt. Kumgang in the North to discuss installing a permanent meeting place on the scenic mountain for separated families, southern Red Cross officials said Friday.
Defense to cost 99 trillion won through 2008
November 19, 2004 ? The Defense Ministry said yesterday that in order to comply with President Roh Moo-hyun's self-reliant defense posture, it would spend 99 trillion won ($92.5 billion) between next year and 2008. This year's defense budget is 18.9 trillion won. With the money, the ministry is seeking to buy sophisticated intelligence systems to boost its capacity to detect the possibility of aggression from North Korea. Korea wants to buy navy destroyers equipped with Aegis missile systems, aircraft with Airborne Early Warning Systems, third generation Patriot missiles and acquire command, control, communications, computers and intelligence- gathering gear, with satellites at the top of the shopping list. "Currently, we rely heavily on U.S. intelligence when it comes to detecting any significant movement by North Korean forces," said a defense ministry official. "In light of the changing nature of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, it's necessary to enhance our own deterrent capabilities." [Military balance] [Friction]
Pyeongyang regime is stable, says top aide on North Korea
November 18, 2004 ? In testimony yesterday before the National Assembly, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, South Korea's top policymaker on North Korea, carefully dismissed international media reports that Pyeongyang's leadership might be undergoing an upheaval. A Russian wire service reported Tuesday that portraits of Kim Jong-il, the North Korean leader, had been removed from public display. The reports said pictures of Kim Il Sung, Mr. Kim's father and the founder of the communist country, were still in evidence, but that likenesses of Kim Jong-il had been taken down. "We need to do more work to see if the reports are true," Mr. Chung told lawmakers at a hearing on foreign and unification policy. North Korean television broadcasts showed the two portraits hanging side by side, Mr. Chung said. "Kim Jong-il has been carrying out his job normally until very recently," he said. Video of Mr. Kim touring a North Korean military base was broadcast yesterday on North Korean state-run television. South Korean intelligence officials expressed skepticism that any missing portraits might be connected with changes in North Korea's regime. "If the portraits had been taken down everywhere in the North, we would have known about it beforehand," an intelligence official said. Other analysts pointed out that in the early 1990s, the portraits of Mr. Kim had been taken down at his own order in a show of respect for his father. Mr. Kim reportedly said his portraits should not be hung next to his fathers' while the top leader was still alive. Kim Il Sung died in 1994. During his Assembly testimony, Mr. Chung also said South Korea should change its views on the North. "Taking into account the changed inter- Korean environment after the summit [in June 2000], the 'main enemy' concept must be changed," Mr. Chung said. "In the post Cold War era, no country labels a particular nation as a main enemy and develops its defense strategy against it." Main enemy is the term that South Korea has employed in referring to the North in its Defense white papers since 1994. A North Korean envoy's threat in 1993 to make Seoul "a sea of fire" prompted South Korea to label the North the main enemy. North Korea has strongly protested against the use of the term. Separately, the chairman of the Uri Party, Lee Bu-young, told foreign correspondents in Seoul that the Roh administration should be willing to hold a summit with North Korea to resolve the nuclear crisis, even if North Korean leader Kim does not visit the South in return for the 2000 visit to Pyeongyang by then-President Kim Dae- jung. by Lee Young-jong, Ser Myo-ja
Main Enemy' Haunts National Assembly Again
By Park Song-wu Staff Reporter Grand National Party (GNP) lawmakers on Thursday grilled Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung over recent remarks that indicated he intends not to use the term ``main enemy'' to describe North Korea in the ministry's white paper scheduled to be published next year. During a defense committee meeting at the National Assembly, Reps. Hwang Jin-ha and Song Young-sun of the opposition party said it was ``very regrettable'' that Yoon made the remarks as he is in charge of a government body that functions as the ``last bastion'' to protect the country from the North's military threat. The conservative party members argued that the ministry should continue using the term as Pyongyang is still threatening Seoul with its missiles and nuclear arms. But lawmakers of the ruling Uri Party, including Kim Sung-gon and Im Jong-in, refuted the GNP's idea for being reflective of a Cold War mentality, saying the communist country is South Korea's ``partner'' for ongoing exchange programs in addition to being a ``threat'' to Seoul's security.
More Self-Reliant Defense Posture Envisioned
By Yoon Won-sup Staff Reporter The Defense Ministry on Thursday unveiled an outline plan to move toward a more independent national defense in a bid to fill the possible security vacuum caused by the planned reduction in U.S. troops on the Korean peninsula. ``We decided to strengthen the role of South Korean military forces to defend our nation in the face of the reorganization of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK),'' Maj. Gen. Bang Hyo-bok, strategic policymaker at the ministry, said in a news briefing. To this end, the South Korean armed forces will intensify their strategic capability to deter war by increasing the defense budget to 3.2 percent of the total gross domestic product from the current 2.8 percent by 2008 on a gradual basis. This will require about 99 trillion won ($92.5 billion) in the coming four years, according to Bang.
NK Defectors Seeking to Move to US
Many Northerners Fail to Adjust to Capitalist Society in South By Na Jeong-ju Staff Reporter A growing number of North Korean defectors in the South prefer living in the United States in the hope that the U.S. government will provide better working conditions and settlement programs, after the U.S. Congress approved a North Korean human rights bill in late September, government officials said Wednesday. According to the Ministry of Unification, 14 North Korean defectors have emigrated to the U.S. since the mid-1990s and many are staying in Canada and Mexico to seek political asylum in the U.S. after failing to readjust to South Korea's capitalist culture. The biggest reason for their departure to the U.S. comes from a tougher-than-expected life in Seoul and the anticipation that they could benefit from the U.S. government's efforts to improve the human rights conditions of North Korean defectors. Government officials said an unidentified number of North Korean defectors with South Korean nationality are staying in third countries to enter the U.S. Most of them defected to the South in the 1990s but failed to adapt, mainly due to their misunderstanding of capitalist systems and ill treatment by South Koreans, the officials said. North Koreans who defected to the South are not eligible for political asylum in the U.S., but most defectors enter the country having no knowledge of the policy. This year alone, several North Koreans were repatriated to the South by the U.S. government, sources said. ``Some defectors depart for the U.S. after disposing of their financial assets provided by the South Korean government for their readjustment here,'' a source in the Unification Ministry said. ``With the money, they stay in Canada and Mexico, seeking opportunities to enter the U.S. and seek asylum there.'' [Refugee reception]
Police search for unionists
Police standing yesterday at the front gate of Hanyang University with sheets of photos of wanted members of the public servant's union. [photo] [Human rights]
Kim Dae-jung cuts overseas trip short
November 15, 2004 ? Former president Kim Dae- jung arrived in Seoul yesterday in a wheelchair after cutting short his trip to Europe and the United States. Aides said the 78-year-old felt too tired to continue.
34 N. Korean Defectors Leave for Other Countries
SEOUL (Yonhap) - Thirty-four North Koreans who defected to the South have left again for other countries, expecting a better life, according to a government report released Saturday. The Unification Ministry report said that 14 North Korean defectors emigrated to the United States, six to Japan, five to Argentina and the remainder to other Asia-Pacific and South American countries. About 7,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea so far, according to the ministry, which supervises North Korean defectors' readjustment in the South. The number of defection from North Korea jumped when its economy hit bottom in the 1990s and over 1,000 people have come to the South annually since 2002. They enter South Korea indirectly through third countries such as China, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The ministry said defectors who saved money in the South began to emigrate in the mid-1990s. According to a survey of 100 defectors in September by local daily Segye Times, 69 percent said they prefer emigrating to Western countries such as the United States, Canada and Australia over staying in South Korea and 33 percent of the respondents said they would return to North Korea if they could. North Korean defectors say they are constantly faced with discrimination, regarded as second- class citizens and have difficulty getting jobs. 11-14-2004 14:03 [Refugee reception] [PYR]
Park Jie-won conviction set aside
November 13, 2004 ? A new trial was ordered yesterday for Park Jie-won, the top aide to former President Kim Dae-jung, who was convicted of accepting bribes in connection with the 2000 inter-Korean summit and sentenced to 12 years in prison. The Supreme Court told the Seoul High Court that Mr. Park must be retried because evidence used to convict him could not be considered credible. An effort by Mr. Park and his attorneys to reverse the district court's verdict was turned aside by the appellate court. The former official was charged with taking 15 billion won ($13 million) from Hyundai Corp. just before the June inter-Korean summit in 2000 in exchange for providing favors to the company. Mr. Park's conviction was based on the statements of Kim Yeong-wan, Mr. Park's slush fund manager, and Lee Ik-chi, former Hyundai executive. In its ruling yesterday, the Supreme Court said the statements were not believable. Mr. Lee is said to have delivered Hyundai Group's money to Mr. Park through Kim Yeong-wan. Mr. Kim, now a fugitive in the United States, sent his statement to the prosecution from where he had taken refuge. Former President Kim, who is in Rome on a visit to the World Food Program, welcomed the Supreme Court's decision. "I respect the Supreme Court's fair decision," the former president was quoted as saying by Kim Han-jung, Mr. Kim's secretary. "Mr. Park was a scapegoat of politics. I am happy that his honor is redeemed." by Ha Jae-sik, Min Seong-jae
Supreme Court Clears Former Presidential Aide of Bribery Charges
By Na Jeong-ju Staff Reporter The Supreme Court on Friday turned down a lower court ruling against former Culture and Tourism Minister Park Jie-won, virtually clearing him of bribery charges in the high-profile money scandal during the inter-Korean summit in 2000. Citing lack of evidence, the highest court said it couldn't confirm bribery charges against the former aide to ex-President Kim Dae-jung and the case needs a thorough review, a ruling that was widely regarded as acquittal for Park.
Gov't to Investigate Ex-President for Extortion
By Yoon Won-sup Staff Reporter Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan said Friday the government will set up an independent commission to investigate the allegation that Jeongsu Scholarship Foundation, founded by late President Park Chung-hee, had extorted money from businessmen during the 1960s. Answering lawmakers' questions at the National Assembly, the prime minister further said a fact- finding body for the allegation is ``absolutely needed if the Park administration took people's money without adequate compensation and against their will."
Students establish group to oppose left
November 11, 2004 ? University student activists formed a new coalition yesterday to oppose a movement led by the leftist Hanchongryun, a radical pro-North Korea student organization. The students from seven schools around the country came together at Hongik University in Seoul to establish the new group. In a statement, they announced they would work to solve unemployment among youth, to develop democracy and human rights in North Korea, Myanmar and Iraq, to support the autonomy of university student councils and to help their universities compete on the world stage. The representatives in the new coalition come from student council candidates at Seoul National, Hongik, Kyungpook, Wonkwang, Konkuk, Chonbuk and Kunsan universities. They plan to form a bigger coalition by rallying more student leaders.
Booklets on Koguryo Out in 4 Languages
By Lee Yong-sung Staff Reporter A booklet clarifying the Koguryo Kingdom was part of the history of Korea has been published in four languages. Roughly 35 different kingdoms ceased to exist in the area covering contemporary China in the 705 years of the Koguryo Period (B.C.18-668). With clear counter-evidence to some Chinese scholars' claims that the kingdom was a merely a provincial government of Chinese dynasties, the Korean government has had a hard time dealing with the dispute, with limited sources to promote the truth out of the country.
Police Disrupt Voting of Unionized Civil Servants
By Na Jeong-ju Staff Reporter Police Tuesday swooped on polling stations of the Korea Government Employees' Union (KGEU) nationwide, disrupting union members from voting on the general strike set for Nov. 15. Loud voices echoed and clubs were brandished in many stations as police hauled in dozens of union members protesting in violation of labor laws that prevent any collective action by the civil servants' union. Police said they deployed 25,000 riot police at some 230 polling stations, where around 14,000 union members were to cast ballots to give the go-ahead for the planned strike. [human rights]
Truth probe by NIS
The Republic of Korea had gone through a sort of a dark age for over a quarter of a century from the 1961 military coup. During this period, there were deaths and disappearances of people who opposed the repressive rule but the public were kept in the dark. The media raised questions but were unable to come close to the truth. The worst time was the 1970s between President Park Chung-hee's declaration of the "Yushin" system in 1972 and his assassination in 1979. People remember Sasanggye magazine publisher Chang Jun-ha, Seoul National University professor Choe Jong-gil and the executed members of the allegedly pro-North Korean "People's Revolutionary Party" and many other victims of the dictatorship but do not know exactly how they died. The only thing that was certain about all those incidents was that the (Korean) Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA), which later changed its name to the Agency for National Security Planning (NSP) and is now the National Intelligence Service (NIS), was behind them. As the omnipotent tool of dictatorial rule, agents of the KCIA played a part in all overt and covert operations to remove threats to the regime. During the 1988-93 presidency of Roh Tae-woo, who once headed the state intelligence apparatus, few expected that the organization would come clean about its "sins" as his administration was still very much part of the past and needed its help to maintain power. To our great regret and puzzlement, the intelligence agency was able to withstand strong pressures from democratic forces to reveal the truth even during the administrations of Presidents Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung, two democracy movement leaders who had suffered KCIA's persecutions since the 1960s. Last week, the NIS launched a 15-member "truth commission" made up mostly of former pro-democracy activists to establish facts about the past. It is obvious that the intelligence agency took the supposedly "voluntary" step in conjunction with the ruling Uri Party's move to enact a law to investigate all past anti-national and anti-democratic activities as one of its reform legislations. We now have some doubts that the NIS-initiated probe, at least two administrations overdue, will be able to come to the bottom of the mysteries after the passage of so much time. The intelligence organization has undergone drastic overhauls in the intervening years and most of the operatives who were involved in dirty acts and key witnesses have left the agency. Still, the NIS commission will be able to obtain important testimony and material evidence if its members make a devoted effort to accomplish their task. The Uri Party's plan for reform legislation, which also includes bills on the repeal of the National Security Law and regulation of newspaper businesses and private school foundations, faces fuzzy prospects as these measures have been rejected by the opposition Grand National Party. Regardless of the fate of Uri's bills, the NIS should continue its self-probe and produce convincing explanations about the past atrocities committed by the dictatorial leaders for citizens who have waited for the truth for too long. Besides, other state organizations which also served as repressive machines of the past military authoritarian rule, such as the Army intelligence command, the special investigation units of the National Police and even the presidential office, should positively help the NIS commission by providing witnesses as well as material in their possession that are necessary to establish the truth. 2004.11.09 Korea Herald editorial
Susie Kim's retribution; a young boxer's death
November 08, 2004 ? Nov. 13, 2001 This was the date on which Susie Kim could finally rest in peace, after her violent death in 1987. Living a fairly mediocre existence in Hong Kong, Ms. Kim never imagined in her wildest dreams that she'd be accused of being a North Korean agent, but that is exactly what happened as part of a conspiracy hatched by her husband, Yun Tae-sik. The two met in Hong Kong in 1986, where Ms. Kim was working as a waitress at local bars. Mr. Yun, planning to start a business in Hong Kong, was introduced to her by a friend and they tied the knot soon after. Their married life, however, was not happy and soon the two were fighting almost every night. The night of Jan. 3, 1987, started out as no exception, but had a deadly ending as Mr. Yun, in a fit of blind rage, strangled his 34-year-old wife. After hiding Ms. Kim's body under a bed, Mr. Yun fled their apartment in panic and flew to Singapore. When he got there he set out for the one country in which he thought he could start a whole new life: North Korea. He went straight to the North Korean Embassy and requested exile in the North, but he received a cold reception. He then went to the U.S. Embassy, which sent him to the South Korean Embassy. It was there that he concocted the story that he had narrowly escaped before his wife could send him to North Korea. Mr. Yun told the South Korean National Security Planning Agency that his wife was a North Korean spy, something he had discovered after being visited by pro-North Korean Japanese agents on the night of his flight to Singapore. He said the agents showed up and threatened his wife over an unpaid debt, then took her away while he barely escaped. The National Security Planning Agency, all-powerful during the military regimes, decided after three months of investigation to trust Mr. Yun and his story. When Ms. Kim's body was found weeks after her death, the Hong Kong police fingered Mr. Yun as the prime suspect and asked for cooperation from South Korea. The agency, however, was not so helpful. Today, many people voice suspicions that the agency turned a blind eye to the truth on purpose. Mr. Yun held a press conference later calling his dead wife a North Korean spy, and from then on he led a normal life in South Korea. His misdeeds continued, however, as he used forged identities to obtain credit cards. As a businessman, Mr. Yun had a breakthrough with a start-up company in the late 1990s, featured on TV shows. Viewers of the show included Ms. Kim's surviving siblings, who had led a destitute life as the family of a "North Korean spy," and they eventually filed a lawsuit against him for murdering their sister. The days of falsehood ended on this date, when prosecutors arrested Mr. Yun on this charge, just a year before the statute of limitations expired. Found guilty, he was sentenced to 15 years and six months in prison, and is currently serving his term. The agency, today's National Intelligence Service, apologized to Ms. Kim's family, but did not provide compensation as a suit filed against it was rejected by the courts. [PYR]
Book digs into Park as military man
For historians, Park Chung-hee is a rich topic. From his 1961 military coup to a high-profile assassination on Oct. 26 of 1979, Park left an unprecedented legacy on Korea's modern history. No wonder there is no shortage of books and articles allegedly rediscovering him. "Park Chung-hee: A Military Man" (Gaema Gowon; 15,000 won), written in Korean, is the latest of the ever-growing offerings about the authoritarian military ruler, whose 19-year in power reshaped Korea in a sweeping fashion that is still unmatched by any other presidents. Author Jeong Woon-hyeon is currently managing editor of online newspaper Ohmynews, which is regarded as one of few media sources favored by President Roh Moo-hyun, who is constantly clashing with conservative newspapers and the opposition Grand National Party led by Park's eldest daughter, Geun-hye. Park Chung-hee as a Japanese imperial army officer in early 1940s (left photo) and a Korean Army general in 1961 The Korean public still holds a mixture of nostalgia and hatred toward Park. Although mainstream historians pull no punches in revealing Park's negative side as a ruthless military ruler, Park was voted as most favored among both former and incumbent presidents by Koreans in a Gallup survey in June this year.
Ex-president off to Europe, U.S.
November 06, 2004 ? Former president Kim Dae- jung is scheduled to leave today for a visit to the United States, Sweden, and Italy. The former president will meet with Sweden's Prime Minister Goran Persson and will present a lecture on the Korean Peninsula at the Olof Palme International Peace Center. In Italy, Mr. Kim will give an opening address at a meeting of Nobel Peace Prize winners. Mr. Kim will be in the United States at the invitation of former U.S. President Bill Clinton, and will participate in an opening ceremony at the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas, on Nov. 18.
Foundation Day of Korea Commemorated in Simultaneously in Pyongyang and Seoul
A function to commemorate the foundation day of Korea held held in front of King Tangun's Mausoleum on October 3. The Foundation Day of Korea was commemorated in the DPRK. A function was held in front of King Tangun's Mausoleum on October 3. Present there were Kim Yong Dae, vice-president of the Presidium of the DPRK SPA who is Chairman of the National Reconciliation Council; Ryu Mi Yong, Chairperson of the Council for the Reunification of Tangun's nation (CRTN); O Ik Je, vice-chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, officials concerned and overseas Koreans who were visiting the DPRK. Ten years have passed since King Tangun's Mausoleum was constructed. Foundation Day of Korea Commemorated in Simultaneously in Pyongyang and Seoul A function to commemorate the foundation day of Korea held held in front of King Tangun's Mausoleum on October 3. The Foundation Day of Korea was commemorated in the DPRK. A function was held in front of King Tangun's Mausoleum on October 3. Present there were Kim Yong Dae, vice-president of the Presidium of the DPRK SPA who is Chairman of the National Reconciliation Council; Ryu Mi Yong, Chairperson of the Council for the Reunification of Tangun's nation (CRTN); O Ik Je, vice-chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, officials concerned and overseas Koreans who were visiting the DPRK. Ten years have passed since King Tangun's Mausoleum was constructed.

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