Four Moon-supporting South Koreans who allegedly carried out orders from North Korea to stop the government from buying U.S. jets were revealed on Thursday to have received at least $20,000 from Pyongyang.
According to the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper on Thursday at their warrant hearing, police presented evidence to prove their charges, including several photos of the suspects’ meeting with North Korean agents in China. The photos showed two of the four suspects meeting three North Korean agents affiliated with the Cultural Exchange Bureau of the North’s Workers’ Party.
The newspaper also stated that emails and other documents the suspects allegedly exchanged with the North were also presented at the hearing while citing sources. The North’s orders to the suspects and their reports to the North, as well as their written pledge of allegiance to Pyongyang, were reportedly presented as evidence at the warrant hearing. TV Chosun also reported on Thursday that two of the four suspects received orders from the North Korean agents and replied with, “I received your orders well.”
According to the media, the suspects first met the North Korean agents in China in 2017. They received orders to establish an underground organization to work for Pyongyang. In the following years, the suspects had multiple meetings with North Korean agents at restaurants and the outdoor terrace of a Starbucks in China. The NIS presented photos of them meeting with North Korean agents at these locations.
The North paid $20,000 to the suspects to fund their activities. One of the suspects picked up the money from a supermarket locker in Shenyang, China, and brought the cash into the South. The North informed the South Korean suspects of the location by email.
The North specified where to spend the money. They ordered the South Koreans to organize protests to oppose the purchase of F-35A stealth fighter jets, to promote a delivery of 1 million tree saplings to North Korea, to organize a potential visit to the South by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. They were also ordered to create a “human chain” along the 310-mile demilitarized zone (DMZ).
As reported earlier (https://onekoreanetwork.com/2021/08/05/moon-supporters-took-orders-from-north/), the Cheongju District Court issued detention warrants to hold one man and two women on charges of National Security Law violations, which included the clause of “benefitting the enemy.” The court rejected a police request to detain a fourth suspect surnamed Sohn who runs an online media outlet in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, due to insufficient legal grounds. At least three of the four participated in President Moon Jae-in’s election campaign in 2017. They also met with senior lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party.
Sohn was found to be a former senior member of the Korean Confederation of Trade Union (KCTU), the most influential leftist group in South Korea. Sohn raised money this January to buy an advertisement in the leftist Hankyoreh newspaper to demand the impeachment of then-Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, who is now the key presidential candidate from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP). The bank account holder’s name was “DMZ Human Chain Movement,” which was established at the order of North Korea.
Sohn also held a protest with another senior member from the KCTU and the head of the publishing company Minjok Sarangbang in front of the National Police Agency headquarters in Seoul on May 28 this year. Minjok Sarangbang published Kim Il-sung’s autobiography, “With the Century,” and the protesters read the book in front of the police headquarters and called for allowing its sale. They also argued that the National Security Law should be abolished.
A few conservative civic groups filed a court petition to ban the book to be sold, but it was dismissed. However, South Korea’s large bookstores decided not to sell the book anyway. It is a controversial issue, since the Supreme Court has earlier ruled that it is a publication that benefits the enemy.
PPP candidate Yoon Seok-youl issued a statement through his spokesman on Thursday. “We demand a speedy explanation from President Moon and the ruling DP about this shocking spy case,” the statement said. “We want a clear explanation how the suspects were appointed as special advisors on Moon’s presidential campaign.”
“If any of the DP lawmakers consulted with the suspects about their political activities, we want clear explanations,” the statement read.
Chang Sung-min, a former key aid to leftist President Kim Dae-jung and another presidential candidate from the PPP, said that President Moon Jae-in should give a statement on this scandal. “Spies who were given orders by North Korea were appointed as special advisors of Moon’s election campaign,” he said. “Moon was a candidate who was supported by spies, so does this mean that he became the president of the Republic of Korea with the help of spies?”
Chang also said that Moon should explain how they were appointed as special advisors and how he came to know them.
The suspects are currently denying all charges. “It does not make sense that they met North Korean agents at public spaces such as restaurants,” their lawyer told the JoongAng Ilbo newspaper. “My clients said they met with consultants in China to talk about their children studying abroad.”
“How is it possible to bring $20,000 in cash to South Korea?” the lawyer asked. “They also did not provide evidence of the suspects depositing or spending the money.”
Kim Ki-hyun, floor leader of the PPP, also called for a thorough investigation of the “spy case that opposed the procurement of the stealth fighter jets.” He pointed out the fact that the court initially rejected an arrest warrant request for them and argued that “This shows how public security has deteriorated under the Moon Jae-in administration.”
Kim also mentioned the 74 leftist lawmakers who called for postponing joint military exercises with the United States on Thursday. “It appears that the espionage case is a case happening in another world for the DP.” The DP lawmakers’ action came just four days after the North Korean dictator’s sister Kim Yo-jong apparently attempted to blackmail South Korea over upcoming joint military exercises with the United States. It was reported that the DP is split on the issue, as those considered more moderate believe it is a little too late to postpone the exercises, which are scheduled for later this month.
