DATE=  11/20/97

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-222966

TITLE=SOUTH KOREA / SPY (L-ONLY)

BYLINE=KATE WILTROUT

DATELINE=SEOUL

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:   



INTRO:  THE SOUTH KOREAN AGENCY FOR NATIONAL SECURITY PLANNING 

ANNOUNCED THURSDAY THAT IT HAS ARRESTED SIX PEOPLE, INCLUDING A 

PROMINENT FORMER PROFESSOR, ON CHARGES OF SPYING FOR NORTH KOREA.

KATE WILTROUT REPORTS FROM SEOUL, THE ARRESTS SHOCKED MANY SOUTH 

KOREANS AND ANALYSTS SAY THE INCIDENT MAY HAVE AN IMPACT ON NEXT 

MONTH'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.



TEXT:  KOH YOUNG-BOK WAS A WELL-LIKED SOCIOLOGY PROFESSOR AT 

SOUTH KOREA'S PRESTIGIOUS SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, AND PEOPLE 

KNEW THAT HE HAD BEEN A NORTH KOREAN SOLDIER CAPTURED BY THE 

SOUTH DURING THE KOREAN WAR.  WHAT NOBODY SUSPECTED WAS THAT 

PROFESSOR KOH MAY HAVE BEEN SPYING FOR NORTH KOREA SINCE 1961. 



KIM HONG-SOK, A PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICIAL AT THE AGENCY FOR 

NATIONAL SECURITY PLANNING, SAYS NO ONE SUSPECTED PROFESSOR KOH 

UNTIL A NORTH KOREAN COUPLE WAS ARRESTED FOR SPYING LAST MONTH. 

THEY TIPPED AUTHORITIES OFF TO THE ALLEGED ACTIVITIES OF THE 

PROFESSOR AND THREE OTHER SOUTH KOREANS, WHO HAVE ALSO BEEN 

ARRESTED.



ONE OF THE TWO SUSPECTED NORTH KOREANS SPIES, A WOMAN NAMED KANG 

YON-JUNG, COMMITTED SUICIDE A DAY AFTER BEING ARRESTED BY 

SWALLOWING A POISON CAPSULE SHE HAD HIDDEN ON HER BODY.  THE 

OTHER FIVE ARE IN POLICE CUSTODY.               



OFFICIALS SAY THE ALLEGED NORTH KOREAN SPIES WERE TOLD TO FIND 

THE SAFE HOUSE WHERE HIGH RANKING NORTH KOREAN DEFECTOR HWANG 

JANG-YOP IS LIVING, GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE UPCOMING 

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND COLLECT TRANSPORTATION TIMETABLES. 

PROFESSOR KOH ALLEGEDLY PROVIDED HIDEOUTS FOR NORTH KOREANS AND 

EARLIER, AS A SOUTH KOREAN RED CROSS DELEGATE TO 1973 TALKS ON 

REUNITING SEPARATED FAMILIES, GAVE AWAY GOVERNMENT INFORMATION. 



MANY SOUTH KOREANS ARE SHOCKED BY THE ALLEGATIONS AND POLITICAL 

ANALYSTS SAY THE ARRESTS MAY INFLUENCE THE RESULT OF THE DECEMBER

18TH PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.



SHIN MYONG-SOON, A POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR AT YONSEI 

UNIVERSITY, SAYS THE ARRESTS WILL PUT THE OPPOSITION PARTY ON THE

DEFENSIVE AND COULD INCREASE SUPPORT FOR THE RULING PARTY 

CANDIDATE, WHO IS CURRENTLY IN SECOND-PLACE.



OPPOSITION CANDIDATE AND FRONT-RUNNER KIM DAE-JUNG, WHO IS MAKING

HIS FOURTH BID FOR THE PRESIDENCY, HAS OFTEN BEEN CRITICIZED FOR 

HIS LEFT-LEANING IDEOLOGY.  PROFESSOR SHIN SAYS THE INCIDENT WILL

AGAIN BRING IDEOLOGICAL ISSUES TO THE FOREFRONT OF THE CAMPAIGN.



KOREA'S POLITICAL LANDSCAPE HAS OFTEN BEEN AFFECTED BY CONCERNS 

ABOUT NORTH KOREA. MANY PEOPLE THINK UNAUTHORIZED EXERCISES BY 

NORTH KOREAN SOLDIERS INSIDE THE DEMILITARIZED ZONE DURING THE 

RUN-UP TO LAST YEAR'S NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION, HELPED THE 

RULING PARTY KEEP ITS MAJORITY.



PROFESSOR SHIN SAYS SECURITY FEARS, SPARKED BY THE 1992 

UNCOVERING OF A SPY RING THAT INCLUDED PEOPLE WITH TIES TO KIM 

DAE-JUNG, MAY HAVE AIDED THE ELECTION THAT YEAR OF THE CURRENT 

PRESIDENT, THE RULING PARTY'S KIM YOUNG-SAM. 



LEE JAE-YEL, A SECRETARY IN THE RULING NEW KOREA PARTY'S 

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS BUREAU, SAYS THE NORTH KOREA THREAT HAS 

BEEN EFFECTIVE IN WOOING VOTERS IN THE PAST, AND HE THINKS THE 

ARREST MAY INCREASE SUPPORT FOR THIS YEAR'S RULING PARTY 

CANDIDATE LEE HOI-CHANG.



BUT LEE JAE-YEL SAYS THAT THE PUBLIC SEEMS MOST CONCERNED WITH 

THE KOREAN ECONOMY RIGHT NOW, SO THE EFFECT OF THE NEW SPY CASE 

MAY BE MINOR.  STILL, ANALYSTS SAY, EVEN A SMALL CHANGE IN 

VOTERS' ATTITUDES COULD HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE ELECTION, IF 

THE RULING PARTY CANDIDATE CAN DRAW VOTERS AWAY FROM BOTH OF HIS 

COMPETITORS IN A CLOSE THREE-WAY RACE.  (SIGNED)



NEB/KW/FC/KL



20-Nov-97 6:26 AM EST (1126 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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