<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
With the recently publicized defections of North Korean
\nworkers from restaurants in China, concern for the possibility of retaliatory
\nabductions of South Korean citizens has been rising. This comes amidst reports
\nthat Kim Jong Un, infuriated by reports from North Korean officials that
\nSeoul\u2019s spy agency kidnapped its workers, ordered retaliatory measures to be
\ntaken. <\/p>\n
Recent incidents near the Sino-North Korean border have
\nraised alarm, including the murder of a Chinese pastor of South Korean descent,
\nand the sudden disappearance of North Korean defectors with South Korean
\ncitizenship. The fact that numerous abduction teams from Pyongyang\u2019s State Security Department and General Reconnaissance Bureau have been dispatched to
\nChina adds to the possibility of similar incidents unfolding.<\/p>\n
With the murder of one of its citizens, Chinese public
\nsecurity authorities are now on high alert, and Seoul has asked South Koreans
\nto refrain from visiting the tense border region. Under such circumstances,
\nstronger vigilance is warranted for incidents of abduction or murder
\nperpetrated by the North Korean regime.<\/p>\n
With the international community now more heavily resolved
\nin its opposition to terrorism, launching a terror attack on South Korean
\ncitizens would likely lead to extensive negative repercussions for the North.
\nHowever, if the North is determined to carry out an act of aggression against
\nSouth Koreans, numerous possibilities must be considered and not just within
\nthe Chinese border regions of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning. With intense
\nscrutiny focused on China and other countries, the General Reconnaissance
\nBureau may conclude that it would be more advantageous to act within South
\nKorea.<\/p>\n
Reports suggest that Kim Jong Un issued directives to both
\nthe state security agency and the reconnaissance bureau with specific
\nreferences to terror and abduction. The possibility of an incident occurring
\nwithin South Korea at the hands of reconnaissance agents must therefore be
\nconsidered. <\/p>\n
Although the State Security Department recently dispatched
\nagents in large groups to China, a significant obstacle is the presence of
\nlocal intelligence agencies. While North Korean agents may be able to abduct a
\nfew individuals after meticulous planning, easier results may be achieved by
\nreconnaissance teams in other areas.<\/p>\n
North Korea\u2019s marine espionage teams have for decades
\nsucceeded in boarding fishing boats at sea and abducting South Korean
\nfishermen. With a team of ten or more, dozens of fisherman can be abducted with
\nrelative ease. The possibility of such an incident occurring now appears
\nincreasingly likely, as the period between May and October is when the fishing
\nindustry is at its peak. <\/p>\n
Prime targets include South Korean squid fishermen working
\nat night, whose vulnerability is well known to the maritime operations team
\nwithin the General Reconnaissance Bureau. With their bright lights constantly
\nswitched on to attract squid, they inevitably end up advertising their location
\nfor tens of kilometers in all directions. They are also heavily limited in
\ntheir ability to spot approaching vessels that quietly advance toward them with
\ntheir lights out, enabling a relatively easy abduction.<\/p>\n
After carrying out such an operation, the North will
\ntypically claim that the South Korean vessel crossed the maritime border and
\nmay demand a swap between the fishermen and the 12 female restaurant workers
\nthat defected to the South in April.<\/p>\n
It should therefore be considered that attacks by North
\nKorea would not be limited to the Chinese border region, but may also occur
\nwithin South Korea\u2019s borders. Provocations are likely to occur at unexpected
\ntimes and locations, and more vigilance is warranted for the protection of
\nSouth Korean citizens. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With the recently publicized defections of North Korean workers from restaurants in China, concern for the possibility of retaliatory abductions of South Korean citizens has been rising. This comes amidst reports that Kim Jong Un, infuriated by reports from North Korean officials that Seoul\u2019s spy agency kidnapped its workers, ordered retaliatory measures to be taken. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":32730,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[644],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32728","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-analysis-and-opinion"],"yoast_head":"\n