By Kim Se-jeong
A Korean man who was arrested in Japan on Wednesday in connection with a blast at the Yasukuni Shrine last month was carrying other explosives when he entered Japan for the second time, according to the Japanese media, Friday.
Multiple Japanese news outlets quoted Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) as saying that the 27-year-old, surnamed Jeon, had what appeared to be gunpowder, a digital timer and batteries in his luggage when he was arrested at Haneda Airport.
The three items were similar to those found at the scene of the explosion in the shrine's bathroom on Nov. 23. The batteries found in the bathroom had Korean lettering written on them, according to the MPD. Japanese media presume Jeon reentered the country to attempt another attack on the shrine.
According to Sankei Shimbun report, Jeon told police that he set up the explosives at the shrine on Nov. 23 and returned after the blast attempt failed, but later changed his testimony.
Jeon visited Japan on Nov. 21 to 23, his first visit to the country. After Japanese police identified him as their prime suspect as he was recorded by a surveillance camera outside the restroom, he unexpectedly reentered Japan on Wednesday with a return ticket to Korea on the same day.
He is charged with trespassing on shrine premises for now and the MPD is considering charging him with illegal use of explosives, according to media reports.
The MPD said it had found no records of his involvement in anti-Japan activism.
On Friday, Japanese police transferred him to the prosecution.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Korea said it is closely watching the development. It added that a Korean diplomat in Japan has been assigned to offer him legal protection.
On Thursday, the ministry complained to its Japanese counterpart for revealing the suspect's face on TV and newspapers. The Japanese counterpart responded that it was an independent decision made by the media. In Korea, releasing a suspect's face and full name in news reports is restricted.
Some are concerned that the latest incident would worsen the already rocky relations between the two countries following the territorial dispute over the Dokdo islets and the sex slavery issue.
The shrine, located in the center of Tokyo, honors 2.5 million Japanese war dead, including war criminals, and has been one of the most contentious points in Korea-Japan relations.
"I have no doubt that the immediate impact (on relations) will be negative," said Emanuel Yi Pastreich, director at the Asia Institute.
"We can be sure that there are certain political groups who are just waiting for an opportunity to use this event for their own purposes. Korea and Japan should try to avoid an emotional response and rather insist on a long-term multi-level investigation and proposal for constructive trust-building approaches."
A Korean man who was arrested in Japan on Wednesday in connection with a blast at the Yasukuni Shrine last month was carrying other explosives when he entered Japan for the second time, according to the Japanese media, Friday.
Multiple Japanese news outlets quoted Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) as saying that the 27-year-old, surnamed Jeon, had what appeared to be gunpowder, a digital timer and batteries in his luggage when he was arrested at Haneda Airport.
The three items were similar to those found at the scene of the explosion in the shrine's bathroom on Nov. 23. The batteries found in the bathroom had Korean lettering written on them, according to the MPD. Japanese media presume Jeon reentered the country to attempt another attack on the shrine.
According to Sankei Shimbun report, Jeon told police that he set up the explosives at the shrine on Nov. 23 and returned after the blast attempt failed, but later changed his testimony.
Jeon visited Japan on Nov. 21 to 23, his first visit to the country. After Japanese police identified him as their prime suspect as he was recorded by a surveillance camera outside the restroom, he unexpectedly reentered Japan on Wednesday with a return ticket to Korea on the same day.
He is charged with trespassing on shrine premises for now and the MPD is considering charging him with illegal use of explosives, according to media reports.
The MPD said it had found no records of his involvement in anti-Japan activism.
On Friday, Japanese police transferred him to the prosecution.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Korea said it is closely watching the development. It added that a Korean diplomat in Japan has been assigned to offer him legal protection.
On Thursday, the ministry complained to its Japanese counterpart for revealing the suspect's face on TV and newspapers. The Japanese counterpart responded that it was an independent decision made by the media. In Korea, releasing a suspect's face and full name in news reports is restricted.
Some are concerned that the latest incident would worsen the already rocky relations between the two countries following the territorial dispute over the Dokdo islets and the sex slavery issue.
The shrine, located in the center of Tokyo, honors 2.5 million Japanese war dead, including war criminals, and has been one of the most contentious points in Korea-Japan relations.
"I have no doubt that the immediate impact (on relations) will be negative," said Emanuel Yi Pastreich, director at the Asia Institute.
"We can be sure that there are certain political groups who are just waiting for an opportunity to use this event for their own purposes. Korea and Japan should try to avoid an emotional response and rather insist on a long-term multi-level investigation and proposal for constructive trust-building approaches."
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