Ex-NK spy paid 280 mil. won for her visit to Japan

A former North Korean spy who blew up a South Korean jetliner more than 20 years ago will meet Wednesday with the family of a Japanese national kidnapped in 1977 by the North to train its agents.

Kim Hyon-hui, 48, is in Tokyo for a four-day visit until Friday at the invitation of the Japanese government, according to local news reports. The Tokyo side arranged the visit at the request of Megumi Yokota's parents. Megumi was taken to North Korea at the age of 13, snatched on her way home from school over 30 years ago.

On Tuesday, she met with the relatives of Yaeko Taguchi, who was kidnapped from Tokyo in 1978 when she was 22.

Kim claims that, as part of her intelligence training, Taguchi helped teach her Japanese and about her country's customs. Kim told the family members of Taguchi last year that she might still be alive, though Pyongyang says that's not true.

``I really felt from the atmosphere today that we've established a close and trusting relationship,'' said Shigeo Izuka, Taguchi's older brother, according to the Associated Press.

During her trip, Kim is also reported to meet with relatives of Yokota and Hiroshi Nakai, the Cabinet official in charge of the abductions issue and a key negotiator in bringing Kim to Japan.

Local news reports said that Kim received 20-30 million yen (280-420 million won) from the Japanese government in return for her visit to Japan.

The former spy is still a controversial figure, whom critics accuse of playing up her beauty and image as a victim of North Korea's communist regime in exchange for a pardon from the death sentence.

She arrived on a small chartered jet and was taken by full police escort to Karuizawa, a popular summer retreat town in central Japan, where she is staying at the vacation home of former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, according to AP.

김현희, 2억 8,000만원 받고 일본 방문

대한항공 여객기 폭파범 김현희(48)씨가 20일 일본을 방문했다.

현지 언론에 따르면 김현희씨는 일본 정부 초청으로 3박4일간의 일정으로 일본을 방문했다.

김의 일본 방문은 1977년 13세로 하교 길에 납치돼 북한으로 끌려간 요코다 메구미 부모의 요청으로 이뤄진 것으로 알려졌다.

하토야마 유키오 일본 전 총리 여름 별장에서 머물고 있는 김현희씨는 첫날 납북자 다구치 야에코 가족을 만났다.

김씨는 오늘 북한에서 만났다고 언급했던 메구미 가족과 나카이 히로시 일본 납치문제담당상을 면담할 예정이다.

한편 일부 언론은 김현희씨가 일본 방문 대가로 일본 정부에게 약 2000만~3000만엔(한화 2억8000만원~4억2000만원)을 받았다고 전했다.