To Be Investigated Whether or Not Violating Interchange Cooperation Law

The government is likely to investigate Yoo Tae-Joon (34), who has succeeded in fleeing North Korea for the second time after reentering North Korea, for the suspicion of violating the law on the South-North Korean Interchange Cooperation Law.

An authority of the government said on the 14th, "As Mr. Yoo visited North Korea without prior approval, we will investigate him for the suspicion of violating South-North Interchange Cooperation Law. We will investigate whether he violated the National Security Law, but it seems proper to apply the suspicion of violating South-North Interchange Cooperation Law to him."

And he added, "Mr. Yoo is now being examined by related departments and is booked but not arrested. The police will protect him in the future."

He said, "As he fled North Korea twice, we cannot protect him like other defectors."

Meanwhile, an official of the National Intelligence Service said, "Mr. Yoo is not under any suspicion for communism from the investigation so far. We sent him back to his family after two days` investigation, as we cannot oppressively investigate a citizen without any ground."

Young-Sik Kim spear@donga.com