DATE=7/20/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-235709
TITLE=RUSSIA / S. KOREA DIPLOMAT EXPULSIONS (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=JOHN LARKIN
DATELINE=SEOUL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:  

INTRO:  SOUTH KOREAN MEDIA SAYS RUSSIA HAS EJECTED FIVE MORE 
SOUTH KOREAN  DIPLOMATS ALLEGED TO BE INTELLIGENCE OFFICERS. JOHN
LARKIN REPORTS FROM SEOUL, THE MOVE FOLLOWS TIT-FOR-TAT 
EXPULSIONS OF DIPLOMATS EARLIER THIS MONTH.

TEXT:  NEITHER SIDE IS CONFIRMING THE LATEST MOVE, WHICH IS BEING
DEPICTED BY SOUTH KOREAN MEDIA AS AN EFFORT BY THE RESPECTIVE  
INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES TO FIX AN IMBALANCE IN THE NUMBER OF AGENTS
AT DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS IN EACH COUNTRY.

LOCAL NEWSPAPERS QUOTE INTELLIGENCE SOURCES AS SAYING THAT TWO  
DIPLOMATS FROM SEOUL'S MOSCOW EMBASSY AND THREE FROM ITS 
CONSULATE AT VLADIVOSTOK WERE ASKED TO LEAVE RUSSIA. 

THE REPORTS SAY THE FIVE ARE INTELLIGENCE AGENTS.  SOUTH KOREA'S 
FOREIGN MINISTRY AND THE RUSSIAN EMBASSY IN SEOUL HAVE REFUSED TO
COMMENT. 

HOWEVER, A RUSSIAN OFFICIAL SAYS IT IS POSSIBLE THE REPORTED 
EXPULSIONS WERE PART OF A RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT PLAN TO CUT BACK THE
NUMBER OF SOUTH KOREAN AGENTS AT DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS IN THE 
COUNTRY, TO A LEVEL COMPARABLE WITH THE NUMBER OF RUSSIAN  SPIES 
IN SOUTH KOREA.

IF THE EXPULSIONS ARE ACCEPTED BY SEOUL, THEY COULD MARK THE END 
OF THE TWO-WEEK DIPLOMATIC DISPUTE.  

THE CHOSUN ILBO NEWSPAPER QUOTED AN UNNAMED RUSSIAN OFFICIAL AS 
SAYING HE HOPED THE FIVE EXPULSIONS WOULD END THE DIPLOMATIC 
DISPUTE BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES.

THE DISPUTE BEGAN EARLY THIS MONTH AFTER RUSSIA EXPELLED A KOREAN
DIPLOMAT, CHO SUNG-WOO, FROM ITS MOSCOW EMBASSY, ACCUSING HIM OF 
ESPIONAGE.  HIS ALLEGED CONTACT, A RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY 
OFFICIAL, WAS ARRESTED ON TREASON CHARGES.

FOUR DAYS LATER, SEOUL COUNTER-PUNCHED BY EXPELLING RUSSIAN 
DIPLOMAT OLEG ABRAMKIN.  MOSCOW CONDEMNED THE MOVE AND HINTED AT 
FURTHER RETALIATION.

IT IS THE MOST SERIOUS DIPLOMATIC DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO 
COUNTRIES SINCE THEY OPENED DIPLOMATIC TIES IN 1990.  THE 
PREVIOUS SOVIET GOVERNMENT IN MOSCOW WAS A STRONG ALLY OF 
COMMUNIST NORTH KOREA.   (SIGNED)

NEB/JL/FC/WTW

20-Jul-98 5:30 AM EDT (0930 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.