Spy disguised as defector confesses

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Spy disguised as defector confesses

A North Korean spy in disguise as a defector allegedly confessed his identity during interrogation by the National Intelligence Service, so that he could form a normal family with a woman who came with him to the South.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office filed for an arrest warrant Friday against the 50-year-old spy with the surname Kim on charges of infiltrating the country under disguise as a defector in violation of the National Security Law.

Authorities reported Kim came to Seoul in June and received questioning by the intelligence agency, which is a protocol jointly conducted by officials from the intelligence service and related government agencies for defectors.

It is aimed to discover why they fled the communist state as well as expose those who have come to carry out spying activities for the Stalinist state.

The 50-year-old spy confessed during the probe that he is an agent of Pyongyang’s Ministry of State Security.

Kim reportedly told interrogators he was ordered by the secret police agency when he left Pyongyang 15 years ago to report on activities of important South Korean people and collect information on defectors in China who escaped the impoverished state in search of food.

Pyongyang’s security ministry is notoriously known for its practice of arresting political dissidents through close surveillance and operating political concentration camps internationally accused of abusing human rights.

It is also tasked with running overseas espionage operations.

After an additional probe that lasted two months following his confession, it was confirmed Kim was sent by Pyongyang, which prompted an arrest warrant filed by the prosecutors for the security law violations.

It has been reported Kim decided to reveal his identity so he could live with a woman he brought along from China to the South despite the fact that he was well aware of the punishment that would be handed down to him.

Kim reportedly lived with the woman in China.

The intelligence service is yet to find out if the woman also came here for espionage activities.

By Kang Jin-kyu [jkkang2@joongang.co.kr]

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