DATE=7/20/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-235709
TITLE=RUSSIA / S. KOREA DIPLOMAT EXPULSIONS (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=JOHN LARKIN
DATELINE=SEOUL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: SOUTH KOREAN MEDIA SAYS RUSSIA HAS EJECTED FIVE MORE
SOUTH KOREAN DIPLOMATS ALLEGED TO BE INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS. JOHN
LARKIN REPORTS FROM SEOUL, THE MOVE FOLLOWS TIT-FOR-TAT
EXPULSIONS OF DIPLOMATS EARLIER THIS MONTH.
TEXT: NEITHER SIDE IS CONFIRMING THE LATEST MOVE, WHICH IS BEING
DEPICTED BY SOUTH KOREAN MEDIA AS AN EFFORT BY THE RESPECTIVE
INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES TO FIX AN IMBALANCE IN THE NUMBER OF AGENTS
AT DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS IN EACH COUNTRY.
LOCAL NEWSPAPERS QUOTE INTELLIGENCE SOURCES AS SAYING THAT TWO
DIPLOMATS FROM SEOUL'S MOSCOW EMBASSY AND THREE FROM ITS
CONSULATE AT VLADIVOSTOK WERE ASKED TO LEAVE RUSSIA.
THE REPORTS SAY THE FIVE ARE INTELLIGENCE AGENTS. SOUTH KOREA'S
FOREIGN MINISTRY AND THE RUSSIAN EMBASSY IN SEOUL HAVE REFUSED TO
COMMENT.
HOWEVER, A RUSSIAN OFFICIAL SAYS IT IS POSSIBLE THE REPORTED
EXPULSIONS WERE PART OF A RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT PLAN TO CUT BACK THE
NUMBER OF SOUTH KOREAN AGENTS AT DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS IN THE
COUNTRY, TO A LEVEL COMPARABLE WITH THE NUMBER OF RUSSIAN SPIES
IN SOUTH KOREA.
IF THE EXPULSIONS ARE ACCEPTED BY SEOUL, THEY COULD MARK THE END
OF THE TWO-WEEK DIPLOMATIC DISPUTE.
THE CHOSUN ILBO NEWSPAPER QUOTED AN UNNAMED RUSSIAN OFFICIAL AS
SAYING HE HOPED THE FIVE EXPULSIONS WOULD END THE DIPLOMATIC
DISPUTE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES.
THE DISPUTE BEGAN EARLY THIS MONTH AFTER RUSSIA EXPELLED A KOREAN
DIPLOMAT, CHO SUNG-WOO, FROM ITS MOSCOW EMBASSY, ACCUSING HIM OF
ESPIONAGE. HIS ALLEGED CONTACT, A RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY
OFFICIAL, WAS ARRESTED ON TREASON CHARGES.
FOUR DAYS LATER, SEOUL COUNTER-PUNCHED BY EXPELLING RUSSIAN
DIPLOMAT OLEG ABRAMKIN. MOSCOW CONDEMNED THE MOVE AND HINTED AT
FURTHER RETALIATION.
IT IS THE MOST SERIOUS DIPLOMATIC DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO
COUNTRIES SINCE THEY OPENED DIPLOMATIC TIES IN 1990. THE
PREVIOUS SOVIET GOVERNMENT IN MOSCOW WAS A STRONG ALLY OF
COMMUNIST NORTH KOREA. (SIGNED)
NEB/JL/FC/WTW
20-Jul-98 5:30 AM EDT (0930 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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