DATE=12/29/1999 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT TITLE=NORTH KOREA / ESPIONAGE CHARGES (L) NUMBER=2-257588 BYLINE=AMY BICKERS DATELINE=HONG KONG INTERNET=YES CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: North Korea says it has detained a Japanese man on charges of espionage. As Amy Bickers reports from the VOA Asia News Center, Pyongyang accuses the man of gathering military and diplomatic secrets. TEXT: North Korean's state-run Korean Central News Agency says Takashi Sugishima, a 60-year old Japanese market researcher, has been charged with conducting activities that violate North Korean law. The news agency says Mr. Sugishima arrived in North Korea in late November as part of a Japanese trade mission and was apprehended by local officials on December 4th. He has been charged with collecting secret data on North Korea on behalf of Japanese and South Korean intelligence authorities. The K-C-N-A quotes Mr. Sugishima as admitting that South Korean and Japanese agencies provided him with funds and that he used a portable recorder, camera and spying devices. A spokesman at Seoul's main government intelligence agency has denied links to Mr. Sugishima. Japan's foreign ministry says it is investigating the report. The news comes as Japan is preparing to resume talks on establishing full diplomatic ties with North Korea. No date has been set for the meeting, which is expected to take place in Beijing. Analysts say North Korea's move could effect efforts to normalize ties between the two countries. Some say the arrest could be a way to try to win concessions from Tokyo. The analysts note Pyongyang has used similar tactics in advance of previous negotiations with capitalist neighbors. While Japan has lifted sanctions against North Korea, it says the resumption of food aid rests on the progress of the normalization talks. (SIGNED) NEB/AB/FC/KL 29-Dec-1999 06:12 AM EDT (29-Dec-1999 1112 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
