[EDITORIAL] Ending the Hwang Fiasco

Politicians from all parties, the National Intelligence Service and even a former president are getting in on the act, all scrambling after Hwang Jang-yop.

Only Sunday, the NIS insisted that Mr. Hwang confine his attendance to the the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee, giving the impression that it wants to keep him as far away as possible from members of the opposition Grand National Party.

The GNP members' refusal to attend the committee, it must be said, does not appear very reasonable. Later in the day, former president Kim Young-sam made an unpleasant scene even uglier by alleging that the NIS was trying to prevent him from meeting Mr. Hwang.

One suspected from his words that Mr. Hwang might reveal to him certain past deeds of President Kim Dae-jung and that the ex-president was going to use the opportunity to invite Mr. Hwang to come and be his house guest.

The NIS bears prime responsibility for this fiasco. If it had really been paying due respect to Mr. Hwang's personal rights, with appropriate regard for his safety (as the service has claimed to be doing all along), the unseemly happenings of recent days would never have occurred.

The service's first mistake was to downgrade its treatment of Mr. Hwang, apparently in retaliation for his unwelcome criticism of North Korea policies.

This was a measure unbefitting a government agency. Then the intelligence agency revoked its decision to drive Mr. Hwang out of the "safe house" where he had been residing, but too late to salve his wounded dignity. By its actions, the service has given GNP members and the former president, no less, a pretext for seeking to meet with Mr. Hwang to clarify his intentions.

Mr. Hwang is not a politician; he should not be made a pawn for political maneuvering. He is an exceptionally high-level political refugee and should be treated as such. He is supposed to meet politicians when they want his opinion on North Korea or when his well-being needs to be assessed. At the moment, however, he seems to be regarded on all sides as a weapon of partisan struggle. This is a very sorry state of affairs

We urge the National Intelligence Service to apologize for any misconduct. And we urge politicians to calm down and not make too big a fuss once any such misconduct is rectified.