Posted on 07/05/2010 12:47:46 AM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The defection of North Koreans via sea barges is on the rise since the Cheonan sinking in March, according to the military. Seoul is concerned that the defections could be part of a spying scheme by Pyongyang.
Government sources in foreign affairs and defense told the JoongAng Ilbo yesterday that two North Koreans were spotted by the South Korean Navy on an unpowered barge in the East Sea, 40 kilometers (25 miles) away from Sokcho, Gangwon, at 9 a.m. June 26.
“On the spot, they said their motive was to defect from the military,” one source said, “and were led to the appropriate government organizations.”
The source said intelligence agents are interrogating the defectors, in particular over their backgrounds and their defection route.
The defections come as the government is suspecting that the North may be changing its ways of sending spies to the South. Recently, spies disguised as defectors have been arrested by the military.
(Excerpt) Read more at joongangdaily.joins.com ...
Among them, unfortunately, are probably a few spies.
Of course, but the Ministry of Defense and State has promised to weed them out as best they can.
There was an assasination attempt of Hwang Jang-Yop(the North’s top defector) that was recently broken up. A South Korean court gave two spies 10 years each in prison.
Since things are extra tense right now, any spies/saboteurs/assassins would likely have “immediate” missions. So the way to defeat this is to slow them down.
This can be done in a pleasant manner. To start with, put them in carefully monitored field camps, for several official purposes, such as disease quarantine, familiarization with South Korean society, “nutritional recovery”, etc. This can last for six months to a year.
In other words, relax, eat, watch movies, eat, see doctors, attend classes, eat, and eat some more. Real defectors would think they were in heaven.
Spies would think they were in hell. The flip side of this would be that the camps would be under tight, if subtle, intelligence surveillance.
Spies would first try very hard to get out of the camp. Failing that, they would try to make trouble, network, manipulate and threaten real defectors to be their confederates, etc.
So this is a win-win. At worst, the spies are neutralized. At best, they are unmasked. Real defectors gain weight and are happy.
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