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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