``China Tortured Korean Suspects``

A Korean identified as Park (age 71), who had been sentenced to life imprisonment, alleged that he had been tortured by the Chinese authority. Park was arrested in 1997 with another Korean drug criminal Shin (age 42), who was sentenced to death and executed in September.

An official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said that Park alleged at a meeting with Korean Embassy in China Consul Kim Byeong-Gwon that he had been beaten with rope at the time of arrest, and had his beard plucked off the face.

Park also claimed that he had requested at the prison to contact and send letters to the Korean legation several times but had been refused to do so.

If Park`s allegation that he was tortured and refused the right to see the consul is found true, the issues surrounding such a severe infringement of human rights conducted by China, which ratified the UN`s Convention Against Torture can develop to diplomatic matters pending between Korea and China.

``The government plans to contact the Chinese reformatory authority immediately and investigate whether or not the human rights of Korean prison inmates have been infringed by torture or the like.`` said a government official yesterday. If Park`s allegation turns out to be true, then the government will make a strong protest to China after conducting an examination as to whether China has violated the international law.

Kim Ha-Jung, Korean ambassador to China, met Wu Dunghu, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, in Beijing yesterday, and expressed regret over the belated notice of Shin`s execution and the death of a Korean national identified as Chung (age 68) in prison. He also requested a prompt investigation into the real facts of the case.

taylor55@donga.com