NK Released Japan`s Reporter Suspected as Spy without String after 2 Years Detention

NK Released Japan`s Reporter Suspected as Spy without String after 2 Years Detention. February. 14, 2002 09:18. ksshim@donga.com.

North Korea released a Japanese reporter, Sugishima Takashi (62), who was detained under the suspicion of spying activity in December 1999, and returned him to Japan on the 12th without conditions.

Since the release of Mr. Sugishima Takashi was made 2 weeks after U.S. President Bush`s remark about `axis of evil` and 1 week before Mr. Bush`s visit to the 3 nations in Asia, it is interpreted as an active gesture of the North for the improvement of the North-U.S. relationship.

However, Japan`s foreign Ministry announced that "The act has nothing to do with Bush`s remark on the `axis of evil` but is the result of the relentless effort of the Japanese government. NK communicated its intention to release Mr. Takashi a month ago."

The Japanese government added, "This release is a meaningful step. But the situation will not any different until the North expresses its clear intention to improve the relationship by resuming its effort to locate the missing Japanese citizens."

Mr. Sugishima was arrested by North Korean authorities in Pyongyang on December 4th 1999, while he was visiting the North with Shimio Takaya, former chairperson of Japan`s Red Army.

The North Korean government insisted that he was collecting information at the request of South Korea and Japan, and provided portable recorder and camera as evidence. However, Japan`s Foreign Ministry has repeated that it never requested any kind of spy activity from him.