DATE=8/21/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=KOREAS / SPY REPATRIATIONS (L-O)
NUMBER=2-265693
BYLINE=ALISHA RYU
DATELINE=HONG KONG
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Two North Korean spies, set free by South
Korea after disavowing communism, are demanding to be
sent back to North Korea. They want to be repatriated
next month with dozens of other ex-spies under a deal
struck between the two Cold War enemies. VOA's Alisha
Ryu has details.
TEXT: Convicted North Korean spy Chung Sun Taek says
that the oath he signed in 1989 renouncing his ties to
Communism was forced and therefore not valid. He says
he signed the document so that he could be released
from prison where he was held for more than 30 years.
Chung says he and a female ex-spy, who signed a
similar oath in 1985, now want to return to Pyongyang
with 62 others scheduled to be repatriated to the
North on September 2nd. As part of the reconciliation
agreement reached during June's historic summit
between the two Koreas, the Seoul government pledged
to return all convicted North Korean spies who wanted
to go home after serving long prison terms.
But the government has not included Chung and his
female colleague on the list of former prisoners it
intends to repatriate. Seoul argues that because the
ex-spies took an oath to uphold South Korea's
political and social systems, they are legally bound
to stay in South Korea.
Although South Korean President Kim Dae-jung
unconditionally released all North Korean spies from
prison two years ago, they are still barred from
leaving the country without government approval.
Meanwhile, South Korea's main opposition party is
calling on President Kim to immediately secure the
return of all South Koreans in jail in the North.
North Koreans have insisted that they have no South
Korean prisoners in their custody. But many in the
South charge that North Korean authorities forcibly
issued citizenship cards to South Korean prisoners
after the Korean War ended in an armed truce in 1953.
They say they believe many so-called North Koreans in
jail now are actually South Korean prisoners-of-war.
/// REST OPT ///
The South's spy repatriation follows last week's
meeting of families separated for over 50 years. Both
sides exchanged 100 people each for four days of
emotion-filled reunions in Seoul and Pyongyang.
(Signed)
NEB/HK/AR/JO/KL
21-Aug-2000 08:11 AM EDT (21-Aug-2000 1211 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
