“Commander of Agents for Abduction is Ji Young Soo”
In the interview with The Daily NK on Jan 16, Lee Chun Kil, (35, pseudo name) a former North Korean Secret Agent who has defected to South Korea last January testified, “The person responsible for Rev. Kim’s abduction is Yoon Chang Joo (Director of Secret Agents (to crackdown anti-Kim Jon Il force) in 2002, Provincial Security Agency), and the commander in action was Ji Young Soo((real name) at the time, general security manager of Agriculture Factory of North Hamkyung province)
“The commander in action, Ji Young Soo, was awarded with an Omega gold watch with Kim Jong Il’s name engraved on it at the ‘National Security Agency Worker’s Gathering’, which is the best gift one can receive in North Korea,” added Lee. This is the first time a commander in action was revealed, Ji Young Soo, and he received it for the successfully abducting Rev. Kim Dong Sik.
The Omega gold watch engraved with Kim Jong Il’s name is the most honorable award in North Korea, given to special agents or the highest ranking officials who had performed in an outstanding manner.
Lee further testified, “I was discharged from the Pyongyang National Security Agency Hospital on November 26, 2000 and while I was being moved back to Huiryung in North Hamkyung province, I heard this in person from Yoon Chang Joo who was in charge of taking me back: “The commander in charge of the abduction operation for Rev. Kim Dong Sik was Ji Young Soo, and he was awarded with the Omega gold watch at the ‘National Security Agency Worker’s Gathering,’ in Pyongyang, in October.”
This interview with Mr. Lee Chun Kil was conducted on December 16, 2004, 3pm for two hours in Seoul. The following is the interview with him.
– How did you first found out about the abduction of Rev. Kim Dong Sik?
“It was soon after I started to feel guilty about my work as an abductor and I had already decided to defect to South Korea. On November 18, 1999, I submitted a defection application at South Korean embassy in Shenyang of China but I heard that my application has been suspended ten days later. I came out of the Shenyang embassy and was already moving to Dalian to take a ship to be smuggled into South Korea. I think it was sometime in December. At that time, I received a call from Yoon Chang Joo, (Director of Secret Agents (to crackdown anti-Kim Jon Il force) in North Hamkyung province at the time, who supervised Lee Chun Kil)”
-Do you remember the details of your conversation with Yoon Chang Joo?
The following is the phone conversation with Yoon Chang Joo, Lee Chun Kil remembered.
Yoon : Could you come to Yenji now?
Lee : Why so.
Yoon : We need to buy (abduct) a South Korean ‘rice pot’ (term for South Koreans) we are short on hands for the arrest group there (Yenji) so I need you there to help them
Lee : If I move, the person with me (the targeted person to be abducted) will be suspicious of me. I also do not feel well. (Since Lee was already having regrets for his secret agent activities and planning his way to South Korea that he made some excuses)
Yoon : I understand.
– After receiving the phone call from Yoon Chang Joo, did you let the South Korean embassy in Shenyang know of this?
“I called the Shenynang embassy right away. I called the administrative office of the embassy and when I said, ‘You must be careful because there is plot to abduct a South Korean.’ They replied coldly, ‘who should we warn among all these South Koreans?'”
– Who did you hear about the abduction of Rev. Kim Dong Sik from?
“I heard this from Park Gun Chun (National Security Agency), a peer of mine who did secret operations together with me.”
– When did you hear this?
“January 20, 2000 I submitted defection applications to Qingtao embassy but it was rejected again, so I came back from Qingtao to Dalian. When I came back to Dalian, I received a phone call from Park Gun Chun and got to know about the abduction of Rev. Kim.”
– Did Park Gun Chun call you first?
“Yes”
– What was your conversation about? Please tell us in detail.
Park : Thurling (secret word for Lee Chung Kil referring him as 420), you think you are the only one who has done something big. We did too.
Lee : What did you do?
Park : We bought (abducted) a South Korean ‘rice pot.’ It is a high quality ‘product.’ (term used at National Security Agency to refer to an important person)
Lee : Who is it?
Park : You know… a South Korean pastor. Kim Dong Sik.
Lee : The product was delivered in good condition? (Did you abduct him without any trouble?)
Park : We did a clean job.
Lee : Who did you do it with?
Park : Me, Younghwa, Kwangchul, Namsoo, Yongchul, and this woman you already know.
Lee : This woman who?
Park : You know. The woman from National Security Agency last April… (that woman was the person who provincial national security agency of North Hamkyung province sent to acquaint with Rev. Kim Dong Sik for the purpose of abduction)
After that, in February 2000, Lee Chun Kil reported to a South Korean broadcaster about Rev. Kim Dong Sik. At the time, Lee received a phone call from Yoon Chang Joo in the middle of the interview with the South Korean broadcaster.
– What was your conversation about?
“Yoon Chang Joo ordered, ‘Verify the real name of the new ‘rice pot’ and find out whether he is related to the Agency for National Security Planning of South Korea.'”
On February 3, 2000, South Korean broadcasters sent out reports on Rev. Kim Dong Sik based on the interview with Lee Chun Kil. After that, Lee Chun Kil was caught by the Chinese Security Police on July 18, 2000 and was sent to be repatriated on September 2, 2000. After his repatriation, Lee Chun Kil was interrogated for two months at the National Security Agency Hospital and heard more information on Rev. Kim Dong Sik.
– Where were you transferred to?
“I stayed at National Security Agency compound 2, underground headquarter 305. Then I was hospitalized at National Security Agency Hospital on September 11, 2000.”
– What did you do in the hospital?
““I was interrogated about all the secret agent activities I did in China. I spent two months there for interrogation.”
– Who did you hear about Rev. Kim Dong Sik from?
“I heard it from Moon XX, Commander of Department 2 of National Security Agency.”
– How did you get to hear it?
“At the time, Shim XX was in charge of operations, and he was the under commander of Department 2 of National Security Agency. However, around November, Moon and Shim came to me together and interrogated me about reasons why I had not joined the abduction of Rev. Kim Dong Sik by saying, ‘You would be one of the heroes by now if you joined them then.’During the interrogation Shim asked Moon, ‘Where is Kim Dong Sik?’ and I heard Moon say, ‘He’s at the guesthouse of Man Kyung Dae.'”
– Are you sure that it is Man Kyung Dae’s guesthouse?
“I am the first one to report about Rev. Kim Dong Sik to South Korea so I heard it clearly. I am sure of it.”
Fortunately, Lee Chun Kil’s activities in China were not revealed. He was released from the hospital on November 26, and was sent back to Huiryung of North Hamkyung province on December 3. In Huiryung, Lee Chun Kil found out that the commander in action for abduction of Rev. Kim Dong Sik was Ji Young Soo, general security manager of Agriculture Factory of North Hamkyung province.
– Who was the commander of operation and the person fully responsible for the abduction of Rev. Kim Dong Sik?
“The abduction plot was in preparation since April of 1999. The commander in action for abduction of Rev. Kim Dong Sik was the general manager of Agriculture Factory of North Hamkyung province, Ji Young Soo. The operation needed the approval of the director of the Secret Agency of the Provincial Security Agency in order to take place, therefore it was actually Yoon Chang Joo who is responsible for the final approval of the abduction.”
– Did Ji Young Soo receive a national award for the abduction of Rev. Kim Dong Sik?
“Ji Young Soo received an Omega gold watch at the ‘National Security Agency Worker’s Gathering,’ in which Kim Jong Il was present. I heard that all the other agents who participated in the operation were also rewarded.
– Is it true that Kim Jong Il was present at the gathering?
“The Director of Secret Agents (to crackdown anti-Kim Jong Il force) of the Provincial Security Agency heard personally that General Kim was there to hand out the awards himself. A person with a position such as general manager of Agriculture Factory would never be allowed to go to such a gathering. He must have done something very special in order to be able to join in such a gathering and receive an award there.”
– What is the reason for abducting Rev. Kim Dong Sik?
“I heard that while sending aid to North Korea, Rev. Kim Dong Sik also sent a number of North Korean defectors back to North Korea for the purpose of evangelization. But they were arrested. The National Security Agency made this into a ‘Plot to collapse the republic through the Christian Evangelization Incident.’ Since the problem grew into something so big, Ji Young Soo ended up receiving an Omega gold watch.”
