DATE=12/30/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=JAPAN - N. KOREA SPY (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-257613
BYLINE=TANYA CLARK
DATELINE=TOKYO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Authorities in Japan confirmed Thursday that a
Japanese citizen accused of spying by North Korea is
being detained in a hotel in Pyongyang. Tanya Clark
reports from Tokyo, North Korean officials have
accused Takashi Sugishima of receiving money from
Japan and South Korea to gather secret information.
TEXT: Japan's Foreign Ministry says North Korean
sources have told them Takashi Sugishima has been
detained and is unable to leave a hotel in Pyongyang
set aside for foreigners.
Mr. Sugishima, a retired journalist, left Japan for
North Korea on November 29th. North Korea's Central
News Agency says he was detained for spying activities
December 4th.
Mr. Sugishima's detention came on the heels of a visit
to Pyongyang by a Japanese delegation that laid the
ground work for talks on renewed ties between the two
countries. The group, led by former Japanese Prime
Minister Tomiichi Murayama, visited North Korea from
the first to the third of December.
Since the visit, Japan has announced the lifting of
all sanctions against North Korea --
in place since Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile
over Japan in August last year.
Negotiations are still underway on Japan's resumption
of food aid to North Korea. Japan is insisting
resumption of food shipments depends on progress in
talks now underway on normalizing relations.
Some analysts have raised concerns that North Korea
could be making accusations against Mr. Sugishima to
strengthen its hand in the renewed negotiations.
Although Mr. Sugishima went to North Korea as the
member of a research delegation from the Japan Market
Economy Institute, Japanese media reports quote the
head of the institute as saying he allowed Mr.
Sugishima to join the delegation as a
personal favor.
Japan's Foreign Ministry says it is still waiting for
more details of the incident from Pyongyang.
NEB/TC/FC/PLM
30-Dec-1999 02:03 AM EDT (30-Dec-1999 0703 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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