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Prosecution Investiages `Mangyongdae Visitor`s Book`

Posted August. 20, 2001 09:29,   

한국어

Some of the South Korean delegates`s activities in North Korea are creating a stir. Some of the South Korean delegates to the `August 15 Grand Festival of the National Reunification` participated in the opening and closing ceremony by and left notes sympathetic to the North Korea`s unification proposals in the Mangyongdae visitor`s note. Mangyondae is the birthplace of late North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung.

The government decided to hold an urgent National Security Council meeting at Cheong Wa Dae Monday morning, and to discuss the controversies and measures in regard to the related people.

Seoul Prosecutors Office (Chun Sung-Kwan, chief public prosecutor) also said that it will investigate the delegates as soon as they return on Tuesday.

A prosecution official said that ``the prosecutors office is investigating whether the statement, which says `let`s achieve the great work of reunification by inheriting the spirit of Mangyongdae`, is a violation of the national security law. It is unavoidable to investigate the related people in order to find out who left notes in the visitor`s book in what circumstances.``

Meanwhile, a delegate named K, who left a controversial note in the visitor`s book, told the organizing body of the South Korean delegates yesterday that ``I left a note, considering the relationship between Mangyongdae and the necessity of reunification, since I visited Mangyongdae.`` ``I hope that I can have an opportunity to explain in detail after return to Seoul.`` said K at the `explanation by the parties concerned in relation to the controversies over the Mangyongdae visitor`s note`, which was delivered by the organizing body of the South Korean delegates to the Pyongyang joint press. K also added that ``I didn’t expect that the notes would create such a big stir.``

Meanwhile, the South Korean delegation was divided into two groups, and each visited Mt. Myohyang and Mt. Baekdu on Saturday and Sunday.

Catholic and Protestant believers held a service at Pyongyang`s Changchung Cathedral and Bongsu church with the North Korean believers Sunday morning. Buddhist believers also held a joint service at Bohyon Temple at Mt. Myohyang with the North Korean Buddhist believers.



Kim Young-Sik spear@donga.com