By Chung Ah-young
Questions remain over the unexplained behavior of a Korean man under arrest in Japan for an alleged bombing at a public restroom at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo last month.
Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department (MDP) is questioning the 27-year-old Korean man, surnamed Jeon, on charges of trespassing on shrine premises, allegedly linking him to the explosion there on Nov. 23.
But it remains unclear why he returned to Japan after leaving the country on Nov. 23 right after the incident.
Jeon was arrested at Tokyo's Haneda Airport Wednesday morning. He had previously visited Tokyo from Nov. 21 to 23.
Before arresting him Wednesday, Japanese law enforcement had not requested the Korean government to extradite Jeon. So his reentry was unexpected.
According to local reports, Jeon made confusing statements about the incident. He generally denied the allegations, but he said that he went back to Japan to "check the restroom" where the explosion was heard at the shrine, which is the most incomprehensible part of his behavior.
He may not have expected his arrest, since he had booked a return flight to Korea on the same day.
According to a telephone interview with a Japanese broadcaster on Tuesday, he admitted that he visited the shrine but said that he didn't know about the explosion.
NHK also said that his visit last month was his first time in Japan and he was not involved in any anti-Japanese activism. Given this, it is believed he does not belong to any specific group.
Jeon's mother said that she last saw him three months ago and doesn't know why her son went to Japan. "I learned that my son was involved in the explosion through television news," she said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency. "I don't think it's true. He is not the kind of person who harms others."
Born in Namwon, North Jeolla Province, he was discharged as a sergeant in the Air Force earlier this year in March after enlisting in 2009. He does not have a job.
Sankei Shimbun said that the MDP is considering dispatching their investigators to Korea to further look into the background of his involvement in the incident.
The explosion at the shrine was heard on the morning of Nov. 23 but no one was injured.
Police said Jeon was recorded on surveillance cameras outside the restroom after the explosion. The video footage shows that he wore dark clothes, carrying a backpack and a bag some 30 minutes before the blast at the shrine, according to the MPD.
The MPD is investigating the incident based on items such as a digital timer, gunpowder, a bundle of pipes and batteries found near the explosion site.
The shrine has long been regarded as a source of diplomatic conflict by China and Korea, as Japan's high-ranking politicians pay homage there frequently. Its honor list includes Class A war criminals added in the late 1970s along with around 2.5 million war dead.
Questions remain over the unexplained behavior of a Korean man under arrest in Japan for an alleged bombing at a public restroom at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo last month.
Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department (MDP) is questioning the 27-year-old Korean man, surnamed Jeon, on charges of trespassing on shrine premises, allegedly linking him to the explosion there on Nov. 23.
But it remains unclear why he returned to Japan after leaving the country on Nov. 23 right after the incident.
Jeon was arrested at Tokyo's Haneda Airport Wednesday morning. He had previously visited Tokyo from Nov. 21 to 23.
Before arresting him Wednesday, Japanese law enforcement had not requested the Korean government to extradite Jeon. So his reentry was unexpected.
According to local reports, Jeon made confusing statements about the incident. He generally denied the allegations, but he said that he went back to Japan to "check the restroom" where the explosion was heard at the shrine, which is the most incomprehensible part of his behavior.
He may not have expected his arrest, since he had booked a return flight to Korea on the same day.
According to a telephone interview with a Japanese broadcaster on Tuesday, he admitted that he visited the shrine but said that he didn't know about the explosion.
NHK also said that his visit last month was his first time in Japan and he was not involved in any anti-Japanese activism. Given this, it is believed he does not belong to any specific group.
Jeon's mother said that she last saw him three months ago and doesn't know why her son went to Japan. "I learned that my son was involved in the explosion through television news," she said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency. "I don't think it's true. He is not the kind of person who harms others."
Born in Namwon, North Jeolla Province, he was discharged as a sergeant in the Air Force earlier this year in March after enlisting in 2009. He does not have a job.
Sankei Shimbun said that the MDP is considering dispatching their investigators to Korea to further look into the background of his involvement in the incident.
The explosion at the shrine was heard on the morning of Nov. 23 but no one was injured.
Police said Jeon was recorded on surveillance cameras outside the restroom after the explosion. The video footage shows that he wore dark clothes, carrying a backpack and a bag some 30 minutes before the blast at the shrine, according to the MPD.
The MPD is investigating the incident based on items such as a digital timer, gunpowder, a bundle of pipes and batteries found near the explosion site.
The shrine has long been regarded as a source of diplomatic conflict by China and Korea, as Japan's high-ranking politicians pay homage there frequently. Its honor list includes Class A war criminals added in the late 1970s along with around 2.5 million war dead.
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