North Korea: “Granting of Asylum to 468 North Korean Defectors is Terrorist Act”

North Korea: “Granting of Asylum to 468 North Korean Defectors is Terrorist Act”. July. 29, 2004 21:53. by Seung-Ryun Kim srkim@donga.com.

North Korea publicly announced on July 29 that the recent admission of 468 North Korean defectors who were granted asylum in South Korea was “the brainchild of a carefully planned scheme to lure and kidnap North Koreans, and it constitutes an act of terrorism.” North Korea made this statement through the Homeland Peaceful Reunification Commission (HPRC) by warning that “the South Korean government is behind a sophisticated network to kidnap North Koreans and encourage terrorism by kidnapping North Koreans. Any negative results that occur from this act of terrorism are entirely a burden infringed upon the South Korean government, and any collaborators who take part in this act of terrorism will regret it.”

Today’s HPRC announcement is the first public announcement North Korea has made after the defectors were publicly granted asylum in South Korea. The HPRC also announced that “leading North Koreans in large numbers to South Korea constitutes as a direct violation of the 6.15 joint declaration (a pact established during the 2000 North and South summit meetings), and also is an attempt to degrade the North Korean government.” Following this statement, the HPRC also announced that “the terrorist kidnappings have been carefully orchestrated to accommodate the passing of a humanitarian (North Korean) bill in the U.S., and the South Korean government is collaborating with the U.S. to destroy the North Korean socialist political atmosphere. This anti-North Korean sentiment has degraded the North Korean government, and such a crime will not be forgiven.”

Judging from North Korea’s criticism against South Korea by distorting the real situation, the relationship between South and North is expected to be frozen for the time being.

On the other hand, South Korean government officials said that “any North Korean defector who seeks asylum in the South will be permitted entry into the country, and we hope that the North Korean government does not misunderstand the current situation when engaging in future peace talks.”