Hwang Repeats Demand To Be Allowed U.S. Trip

Hwang Jang-yop, the highest-ranking North Korean to have defected to the South, demanded Monday that Seoul allow him to visit the United States.

"I am entitled to the same rights and responsibilities as other citizens under the constitution," Mr. Hwang wrote in an article posted on a Web site operated by the Association of North Korean Defectors (www.nkd.or.kr).

"We accepted the invitations because we believe our visit to the U.S. would help strengthen the alliance between Seoul and Washington," Mr. Hwang wrote, referring to himself and his personal aide, Kim Dok-hong, who defected with him in 1997.

Three Republican lawmakers invited Mr. Hwang to testify before the U.S. Congress on the situation in North Korea. But the South Korean government insisted on prior consultations between Washington and Seoul in order, it said, to guarantee Mr. Hwang's personal safety.

Officially, Seoul has not yet refused to allow Mr. Hwang to travel, although it is clearly nervous about what observations he might offer.

"The majority of the people support us and we are confident that our action would not hinder, but would help the development of healthy inter-Korean relations," Mr. Hwang wrote. "If the three U.S. politicians did not follow proper diplomatic procedure the problem can be rectified through government channels."

"The National Intelligence Service tried to stop the article from appearing on the Web site, but Mr. Hwang's insistence that he be allowed his freedom of speech made it possible," said a close acquaintance of the defector.

The government has some allies in opposing the trip. Lee Jong-seok, a researcher with Sejong, an independent institute specializing in reunification issues, published an article arguing against allowing the visit and said he is still opposed to Mr. Hwang traveling to Washington.

by Lee Young-jong