DATE=7/10/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-235526
TITLE=SOUTH KOREA / DIPLOMAT EXPULSION (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=JOHN LARKIN
DATELINE=SEOUL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: A RUSSIAN DIPLOMAT HAS LEFT SOUTH KOREA AFTER BEING
ACCUSED BY SEOUL OF ESPIONAGE. JOHN LARKIN REPORTS FROM SEOUL
THAT THE EXPULSION IS THE LATEST EPISODE IN AN ESCALATING
DIPLOMATIC DISPUTE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES.
TEXT: OLEG ABRAMKIN, A POLITICAL COUNSELOR AT RUSSIA'S EMBASSY
IN SEOUL, LEFT THE COUNTRY ON FRIDAY THREE DAYS AFTER BEING
DECLARED PERSONA NON GRATA.
HIS EXPULSION WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE EJECTION FROM MOSCOW LAST
WEEKEND OF A SOUTH KOREAN DIPLOMAT, CHO SUNG-WOO. MR. CHO WAS
ALSO ACCUSED OF SPYING AFTER HE WAS ARRESTED IN THE COMPANY OF A
RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIAL WHO WAS ALLEGEDLY HIS CONTACT.
WHILE SEOUL IS PLAYING DOWN THE INCIDENT AS A FIGHT BETWEEN TWO
INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES, THE TIT-FOR-TAT EXPULSIONS HAVE PUT A
CLOUD OVER RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES.
THURSDAY, RUSSIA'S FOREIGN MINISTRY HINTED AT FURTHER
RETALIATION. IT WARNED SEOUL'S COUNTER-EXPULSION COULD FURTHER
ESCALATE TENSIONS, DESCRIBING THE EJECTION OF MR. ABRAMKIN AS
ABSOLUTELY INADEQUATE.
ON FRIDAY, SOUTH KOREAN NEWSPAPERS REPORTED SEOUL IS READY TO
EXPEL ANOTHER DIPLOMAT IF RUSSIA CHOOSES TO RETALIATE FURTHER.
ALSO FRIDAY, SOUTH KOREA'S VICE FOREIGN MINISTER, SUN JOUN-YUNG,
CANCELLED A PLANNED TRIP TO POLAND AND FRANCE TO ORCHESTRATE
TALKS ON HOW TO REPAIR STRAINED RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA.
FOREIGN MINISTER PARK CHUNG-SOO IS AWAY ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS, BUT
WILL MEET WITH HIS RUSSIAN COUNTERPART YEVGENI PRIMAKOV AT THE
REGIONAL FORUM OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IN
MANILA LATER THIS MONTH.
THE DISPUTE IS THE FIRST TIME RUSSIA AND SOUTH KOREA HAVE CLASHED
SINCE THEY NORMALIZED DIPLOMATIC TIES IN 1990. A VISIT TO SEOUL
LAST YEAR BY MR. PRIMAKOV LED TO A FURTHER IMPROVEMENT IN
RELATIONS. (SIGNED)
NEB/JL/FC
10-Jul-98 6:13 AM EDT (1013 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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