Gov`t protests against Japan for revealing bombing suspect

It is said that a South Korean male surnamed Jeon (aged 27) who has been pointed as a suspect in bombing of the Yasukuni Shrine on Nov. 23 is repeatedly denying and admitting his wrong-doings at the questioning by Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Agency.

“During the questioning a day earlier, Jeon said that he visited the Shrine twice and planted explosives on 23rd but during the questioning of Thursday morning, he denied everything,” Japanese media including NHK and Kyodo News reported on Thursday, adding that, based on questioning results, it seems to be true that Jeon stopped by the bathroom near the shrine’s southern gate. "The DNA from a cigarette butt found at the bathroom in question and hotel room where Jeon stayed matched to each other,” reported the Kyodo News. Mainichi Shimbun also mentioned Jeon’s suspiciousness by reporting, “He turned out to have roamed only around the Shrine for three days even this was his first visit to Japan.”

Japan’s police is said to have searched for Jeon’s purchase history of explosive parts from Nov. 21 to 23 when he was staying in Japan but no clues have been found. Sankei Shimbun said, “A measure to directly send Japanese investigators to Korea to trace back his purchase history is now being considered.” Any information that shows Jeon’s purchase of explosive parts through Internet or by credit cards, or any discovery of relevant articles at his residence could be strong evidence.

Japanese police is also studying whether the four 20-cm metallic pipes that contained gunpowder discovered at the scene could be considered explosives.

Spokesperson Cho Jun-hyeok of Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, “Through a diplomatic channel, we have delivered an official complaint to Japan for its revelation of Jeon’s identity, facial photo and real name.” In fact, Thursday’s morning newspapers and Internet websites showed the photo of Jeon who is moving with Japanese police. Sankei Shimbun, in particular, spared three pages of front, third and 27th in reporting the news and some TV commentators made malice comments by saying, “It’s possible that Jeon could have re-entered Japan to commit another crime.”

“While it’s natural that Japanese people have high interests in this case, some media seem to have gone too far,” a senior journalist in Japan said.

“As Japanese police have not provided any photos of Jeon to a particular media, it seems to be the making of any media practitioner. Japanese government is not involved in it,” Yoshihide Suga, Japanese government spokesperson and Chief Cabinet Secretary said at a regular press on Thursday.

peacechaos@donga.com