• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DATE=6/29/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-251219
TITLE=KOREA / TOURIST (L-ONLY) (CQ)
BYLINE=HYUN SUNG KHANG
DATELINE=SEOUL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:  
 // EDITORS: CORRECTING 2-251216:  DELETING LAST SENTENCE OF 
THIRD GRAPH OF TEXT: SOUTH KOREA SUSPENDED THE TOURIST EXCHANGE 
UNTIL PYONGYANG GUARANTEES THE SAFETY OF VISITORS FROM THE SOUTH 
//
INTRO:  A SOUTH KOREAN TOURIST WHO HAD BEEN HELD BY NORTH KOREA 
SAYS SHE WAS FORCED TO SIGN A CONFESSION TO OBTAIN HER RELEASE.  
MIN YOUNG MI WAS DETAINED FOR SIX DAYS LAST WEEK BY NORTH KOREA 
FOR ALLEGEDLY ENCOURAGING NORTH KOREANS TO DEFECT.  HYUN-SUNG 
KHANG REPORTS FROM THE SOUTH KOREAN CAPITAL, SEOUL.
TEXT:  EMERGING FROM THE HOSPITAL, WHERE SHE WAS REPORTEDLY 
TREATED FOR EXHAUSTION, 36 YEAR OLD MIN YOUNG-MI SAID SHE WAS 
FORCED TO WRITE A CONFESSION IN WHICH SHE ADMITS TO ENCOURAGING 
DEFECTIONS FROM NORTH KOREA.  SHE SAID SHE JUST COPIED WHAT NORTH
KOREAN OFFICIALS FORCED HER TO WRITE.
//OPT // MS. MIN SAYS NORTH KOREAN AUTHORITIES ORDERED HER TO 
WRITE THE APOLOGY AND FORCED HER TO CHANGE SOME PARTS OF HER 
STATEMENT. THE SENTENCE: "I HOPE YOU COULD COME AND LIVE IN SOUTH
KOREA, IF UNIFICATION IS REALIZED SOON,'' WAS ALLEGEDLY REWRITTEN
AS "LET'S GO TO SOUTH KOREA TOGETHER.'' // END OPT //  
MIN YOUNG-MI WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY LAST WEEK, WHILE ON A VISIT 
TO NORTH KOREA'S MOUNT KUMGANG REGION ORGANIZED BY THE SOUTH 
KOREAN BUSINESS CONGLOMERATE HYUNDAI.  THE HYUNDAI TOURISM 
PROGRAM IS PART OF SOUTH KOREA'S SO-CALLED SUNSHINE POLICY TO 
ENGAGE THE COMMUNIST NORTH NORTH.  IT BRINGS THE CASH-STRAPPED 
NORTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT MUCH NEEDED FOREIGN CURRENCY. 
THOUGH THEY HAVE RELEASED HER, THE NORTH KOREAN AUTHORITIES 
MAINTAIN THAT MIN YOUNG-MI IS A SOUTH KOREAN AGENT. 
THE SOUTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT WHICH HAS JUST FINISHED AN 
INVESTIGATION INTO THE CASE, STRONGLY PROTESTED THE DETENTION AND
REGRETTED THAT THE MOTHER OF TWO WAS FORCED TO SIGN THE LETTER OF
APOLOGY. 
THE INCIDENT CAME SEVERAL DAYS AFTER A NAVAL BATTLE BETWEEN THE 
NORTH AND SOUTH IN DISPUTED YELLOW SEA WATERS.  BOTH SIDES ARE 
ALSO ENGAGED IN SPORADIC TALKS IN BEIJING -- THE HIGHEST LEVEL 
MEETINGS BETWEEN THE TWO KOREAS IN 14 MONTHS.  (SIGNED)
NEB/HSK/GC/JO/KL
29-Jun-99 7:53 AM EDT (1153 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.