Hwang wishes to stay in protective custody

According to the opposition Grand National Party (GNP) representative belonging to a fact finding commission for the Hwang Jang-Yop defection case, the former North Korea Secretary of the Workers' Party Hwang said Thursday, "As I am currently pursuing an important book project, I hope to remain under the protection of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) until October next year."

The opposition GNP representatives who met with Hwang said: "Mr. Hwang refused to acknowledge or comment on the denial by the NIS of having placed restrictions on the former North Korean Workers¡¯ Party Secretary from launching public activities."

However, a related official of the NIS said, "At the unpublicized meeting between Hwang and the opposition GNP representatives, talks centered around the restrictions on Hwang's political activities, however restriction on public activities was self-imposed."

The third deputy chief of the NIS Kim Bo-Hyun said during an informal meeting on the same day with the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee, "In May of this year, we received word from an intelligence agency belonging to an allied nation that, 'North Korea was gathering information in order to make an attempt at a terrorist action against Hwang.¡¯¡±