A police officer checks the closed door of Libya’s Economic Cooperation Bureau in Seoul.
/ Korea Times |
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff reporter
A high-ranking North Korean official visited Libya from June 8 to 10, the foreign ministry confirmed Thursday.
Kim Young-joon, vice minister of North Korea’s foreign ministry, paid a visit to the African nation around the time a South Korean intelligence agent was arrested, questioned and ordered to leave Libya.
Libya deported the South Korean agent, whose name has not been made public due to the sensitive nature of his work, on June 15 for allegedly spying on intelligence related to North Korea and the defense industry.
Kim Young-sun, spokesman of Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, declined to give details on the nature of the North Korean official’s visit or who he met with during the three-day trip.
According to the ministry, the South Korean intelligence agent was arrested and questioned by Libyan authorities in early June.
Spokesman Kim declined to give specific information on when the agent was arrested.
The alleged spy case involving the South Korean intelligence agent has deteriorated the South’s relations with Libya.
Earlier, a government official said there was a “deep perception gap” between the two governments over the agent’s activities.
South Korea claimed that the agent gathered only open source intelligence regarding North Korea and the defense industry .
But the Libyan government was deeply suspicious of the activities, reportedly believing the agent crossed the line.
Upon the request of the Libyan government, South Korea sent a team to give a full explanation of the case.
A diplomatic source told reporters Thursday on condition of anonymity that there has been progress in the conversation between the two governments which helped the two sides narrow the perception gap.
He added the delegation may return to Seoul this week or next week, depends on how the talks go.
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