After 65 days in detention, it seems that Hyundai Asan employee Mr. Yoo may have left Kaesong for Pyongyang.
A high official inside the South Korean intelligence authorities said on Tuesday, “Some in the media are reporting that Mr. Yoo has been sent somewhere, and that seems to be right; he may have been transported from Kaesong. The thing is where he was sent. The possibility is high that he has been sent to Pyongyang.”
The official noted, “Our North Korean associates have recently evaded mentioning Mr. Yoo’s condition, and it has become more difficult to send necessities to him. These could be signals that he has left Kaesong for Pyongyang.”
Lee Jong Ju, a Ministry of Unification spokesperson agreed, stating at a press briefing on Wednesday, “It is a fact that there have lately been some difficulties in getting confirmation of Mr. Yoo’s welfare and condition. However, we cannot confirm whether or not this situation implies a change in Mr. Yoo’s whereabouts. We aren’t sure if he has been sent to Pyongyang or not.”
Some experts point out that the administration cannot confirm it because it is practically impossible for the South Korean administration to approach the North’s authorities with questions on the Mr. Yoo issue. In any case, if the rumor is fact, he is likely to be headed for trial.
North Korea is likely to try Mr. Yoo for espionage; he was caught by the authorities after criticizing the North Korean system and enticing a North Korean worker to defect from North Korea.
The North Korean authorities are likely to announce the schedule for a trial in due course, just like in the case of the two U.S. journalists.
According to an agreement between North and South related to the Kaesong Industrial Complex, North Korea should warn offenders first, then impose penalties and expel South Korean offenders from Kaesong in the worst case. However, North Korea has already announced the invalidation of laws and contracts related to Kaesong operations, and the Mr. Yoo case is apparently being dealt with in North Korea’s own way.
Experts suggest that sending Mr. Yoo to Pyongyang is a tactic to pressure the Lee Myung Bak administration. North Korea has been threatening provocations after South Korea joined the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI).
Sending Mr. Yoo to Pyongyang for trial without consulting the South in the mandated way is the worst case scenario for the Lee administration, because Seoul considers this issue essentially a Kaesong Complex problem. Therefore, if it is true, the South Korean administration will grow concerned about the future maintenance or abolition of the Complex.
