Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DPRK Sends Back Japanese Woman

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK via Korea News Service (KNS)

    Pyongyang, November 3 (KCNA) -- As already reported, Kazumi Kitagawa, a Japanese woman, illegally entered Sinuiju area of the DPRK after throwing herself into the River Amnok from a sighting boat during her tour of Dandong, China, and asked it to accept her request to seek refuge on Aug. 24, 2003. The results of the investigation made by the organ concerned said: Born in Usuki City, Oita Prefecture of Japan, she had been living in Naniwa Ward, Osaka City of Osaka Prefecture. She was forced by investigators of the Kyoto Public Security Investigation Department of the Japanese Public Security Investigation Agency to spy on the Aum Shinrikyo and the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon) from the spring of 2000. She was even mentally distressed due to sexual abuses by them. This prompted her to decide to come to the DPRK to evade the repeated persecution by the public security organ.
    The DPRK side enabled her to live a stable life in an international hotel despite her illegal entry into the DPRK. While staying in the DPRK, she felt that she could no longer cause trouble to it and gave up her intention to seek refuge and expressed her wish to go back to Japan. From a humanitarian point of view, the DPRK took a measure of sending her back to Japan on Nov. 3.
    Before her departure for home, she deeply reflected on her illegal intrusion into the DPRK border and apologized for it and thanked its government for warm treatment and lenient measure.