Man claims he wanted to see his wife in North Korea
By You Soo-sun
A man fell short in his attempt to return to North Korea when police caught him in Incheon on Wednesday, 78 days after he escaped from a mental institution.
Yoo Tae-joon, 48, was found hiding in Namdong-gu, Incheon, after breaking loose from an ankle monitor at a psychiatric facility in South Jeolla Province where he was detained in police custody for attempted murder.
Equipment including a life jacket, swimming fins and a snorkeling mask, which Yoo planned to use to return to North Korea, were found in his room.
"I ran because I wanted to see my wife in the North," Yoo said in a statement. "Send me to North Korea ― the National Intelligence Service here has been preventing me from leaving."
Yoo also testified he hid on a mountain for a day after he escaped, then came to Seoul using public transportation. He then worked in Incheon and Gyeonggi Province to earn money.
"I tried to find a way to get to the North, but it was impossible," he said.
According to police, Yoo withdrew 1 million won ($884) from his bank account two weeks before his escape and had been working at a construction site after he spent the money.
Police are looking into possible charges of breaching the National Security Act based on Yoo's testimony as well as phone records showing he looked up information about the North many times.
Yoo claimed he opened a phone account and found a room using the name of a person he met early last month. The acquaintance, identified by his surname Jin, was a homeless man. He claimed that no one had a direct role in his escape.
Yoo defected from the North in 1998, but returned three years later to bring his wife to the South. He was caught, but managed to escape again in 2002.
In 2004, Yoo was given a three-year prison sentence and 10 years of medical treatment in custody for attempting to murder his half-sibling.
Yoo was put on probation even though he showed signs of delusion about the North.
Police plan to issue an arrest warrant after more investigation, including looking into his motivation for escaping and the possible existence of a coconspirator.
By You Soo-sun
A man fell short in his attempt to return to North Korea when police caught him in Incheon on Wednesday, 78 days after he escaped from a mental institution.
Yoo Tae-joon, 48, was found hiding in Namdong-gu, Incheon, after breaking loose from an ankle monitor at a psychiatric facility in South Jeolla Province where he was detained in police custody for attempted murder.
Equipment including a life jacket, swimming fins and a snorkeling mask, which Yoo planned to use to return to North Korea, were found in his room.
"I ran because I wanted to see my wife in the North," Yoo said in a statement. "Send me to North Korea ― the National Intelligence Service here has been preventing me from leaving."
Yoo also testified he hid on a mountain for a day after he escaped, then came to Seoul using public transportation. He then worked in Incheon and Gyeonggi Province to earn money.
"I tried to find a way to get to the North, but it was impossible," he said.
According to police, Yoo withdrew 1 million won ($884) from his bank account two weeks before his escape and had been working at a construction site after he spent the money.
Police are looking into possible charges of breaching the National Security Act based on Yoo's testimony as well as phone records showing he looked up information about the North many times.
Yoo claimed he opened a phone account and found a room using the name of a person he met early last month. The acquaintance, identified by his surname Jin, was a homeless man. He claimed that no one had a direct role in his escape.
Yoo defected from the North in 1998, but returned three years later to bring his wife to the South. He was caught, but managed to escape again in 2002.
In 2004, Yoo was given a three-year prison sentence and 10 years of medical treatment in custody for attempting to murder his half-sibling.
Yoo was put on probation even though he showed signs of delusion about the North.
Police plan to issue an arrest warrant after more investigation, including looking into his motivation for escaping and the possible existence of a coconspirator.
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