The Korea Times close
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
Entertainment
& Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
Sports
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
Video
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Sun, July 3, 2022 | 08:43
Security Tightened for NK Defector Hwang Jang-yop
Posted : 2010-04-21 19:28
Updated : 2010-04-21 19:28
Print Preview
Font Size Up
Font Size Down

Hwang Jang-yop
By Lee Hyo-sik
Staff Reporter

Security has been increased to the highest level for Hwang Jang-yop, a former high ranking North Korean official who defected to the South in 1997, following a recent attempt by two North Korean spies to murder him.

Police said Wednesday that the personal security for the 87-year-old has been raised to “A” ? the highest level of police protection provided to an individual. They also said the number of Hwang’s personal guards will increase to over 10 from the current eight. He currently lives in an undisclosed location, surrounded by security guards 24 hours a day.

The move came a day after the two North Koreans, only identified by their surnames Kim and Tong, were arrested for attempting to assassinate the defector, a former secretary of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party and chairman of the Supreme People’s Assembly, under the order of the spy agency belonging to the North’s Ministry of People’s Armed Forces.

The two came to South Korea, posing as North Korean defectors.

There have been many attempts by spies from the North to kill Hwang in the past. In 2008, Kim Dong-soon who came to the country in 2006, posing as a defector, was taken into custody for approaching officials of a North Korean defector organization here in a bid to find out Hwang’s whereabouts.

During the two former liberal administrations from 1998 through 2007, Hwang remained largely invisible and was subject to strict travel restrictions, out of concern that his visit to the United States, Japan and other western countries critical of the communist state, could chill the relationship between the two Koreas.

But since the conservative Lee Myung-bak took the nation’s highest office in February 2008, Hwang has been allowed to travel more freely to Japan and the United States. In meeting with government officials and scholars overseas, he strongly criticized Kim Jong-il and his father Kim Il-sung for only pursuing personal interests, while letting millions of North Koreans starve to death.

Early this month, Hwang made a trip to the U.S. and met with American policymakers and discussed the North Korea situation. On his way back to Seoul, Hwang stopped by Japan where he held a series of meetings with the families of abductees by North Korea.
Emailleehs@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
LG
  • Forum revisits lives of first-generation of Koreans in Hawaii
  • Institutional investors dump Samsung shares amid macroeconomic uncertainty
  • EV fires could hinder transition to eco-friendly vehicles
  • Korean studies and K-vibe
  • Heatwave alert issued nationwide
  • '97 group' lawmakers throw hats into DPK leadership race
  • Top economic policymakers of Korea, US discuss Russian oil price cap
  • Russia's messages with missiles tell West to back off
  • Shifting abortion laws cause confusion for patients, clinics
  • NY overhauls handgun rules in effort to preserve some limits
  • Park Eun-bin plays genius lawyer in 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' Park Eun-bin plays genius lawyer in 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo'
  • 'Top Gun: Maverick' tops local box offices for 9 consecutive days 'Top Gun: Maverick' tops local box offices for 9 consecutive days
  • K-pop group aespa to attend UN meeting on sustainable development K-pop group aespa to attend UN meeting on sustainable development
  • 'Elvis' has a lot in common with K-pop music industry: director Baz Luhrmann 'Elvis' has a lot in common with K-pop music industry: director Baz Luhrmann
  • YG Entertainment founder's younger brother reinstated as co-CEO YG Entertainment founder's younger brother reinstated as co-CEO
DARKROOM
  • Afghanistan earthquake killed more than 1,000

    Afghanistan earthquake killed more than 1,000

  • Divided America reacts to overturn of Roe vs. Wade

    Divided America reacts to overturn of Roe vs. Wade

  • Namaste: Yogis to celebrate International Yoga Day

    Namaste: Yogis to celebrate International Yoga Day

  • Poor hit harder by economic crisis

    Poor hit harder by economic crisis

  • Roland Garros 2022

    Roland Garros 2022

The Korea Times
CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Location
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Service
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • Mobile Service
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Policy
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • 고충처리인
  • Youth Protection Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group