Prosecutors Arrest and Indict Four Members of the 'Changwon Spy Ring'... "Engaged in Anti-Government Activities Under North Korean Orders"

Four individuals associated with the pro-North Korean organization 'Jaju Tongil Minjung Jeonwi' (hereinafter Jatong) have been brought to trial in connection with the so-called 'Changwon Spy Group Incident.'

The Public Investigation Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Lee Hee-dong) on the 15th indicted Jatong's leader Hwang Mo (60) and three others on charges of violating the National Security Act (special infiltration/escape, meetings/communications, etc.) and engaging in criminal organization activities, and they were detained.

Prosecutors [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the investigation by security authorities, these individuals received orders from North Korean agents for over six years to "criticize the government of the Republic of Korea and incite public opinion division," after which they collected domestic political information and reported it to the North.

According to the prosecution, from March 2016 to November 2022, Hwang and others formed Jatong, following North Korea's southern unification by force policy, met with North Korean agents in Cambodia and other locations, received instructions and operational funds, and collected domestic political information to report to North Korea.

The organization operated under the control of the Cultural Exchange Bureau, the North Korean agency overseeing operations targeting South Korea. North Korean directives included reprimands for Jatong's failure to monitor or report the movements of subordinate members, indicating a clear hierarchical relationship.

Jatong members met with Cultural Exchange Bureau operatives in Cambodia and Vietnam or received instructions via the internet.

Under North Korea's 'Strategy for Revolution in the South,' orders were given to conduct anti-American and anti-government struggles, propaganda warfare, organize workers, farmers, and student groups, hold candlelight protests, and press conferences demanding regime resignation, among other mass mobilization activities.

Accordingly, Jatong members participated in anti-American and anti-conservative rallies and produced and distributed card news. They infiltrated various civic groups related to farmers and students, as well as labor unions, recruiting members. The prosecution stated that all these activities were reported to North Korea.

The prosecution defined Jatong as a criminal group secretly operating with Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il ideology and Juche thought as guiding principles, aiming to "complete North Korea's southern revolutionary strategy under the leadership of Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission."

Their anti-state activities were uncovered after the National Intelligence Service conducted overseas surveillance and wiretapping investigations over six years.

In November last year, the National Intelligence Service and police searched their residences and offices, arrested them in January, investigated, and transferred the case to the prosecution on the 17th of last month. The suspects refused to comply with summonses, claiming a 'security crackdown,' so the prosecution was unable to conduct interrogations.

The prosecution stated, "We will continue to investigate additional accomplices hidden behind the scenes, thoroughly clarify the true nature of Jatong, and verify parts of the 'execution of orders' that remain unresolved due to refusal to testify."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.