SEOUL, Dec. 26 (Yonhap) -- A progressive South Korean civic activist flew to North Korea two days ago without government approval to pay her respects to its late leader Kim Jong-il, a Seoul-based group said Monday.
The trip is a violation of the National Security Law that bans unauthorized trips to the North.
Hwang Hye-ro, 35, a France-based researcher from the leftist Institute of 21st century of Corea Research, departed from Paris on Saturday to fly to Beijing, where she transferred to a North Korean plane heading to Pyongyang, the pro-North Korea group said in a press briefing.
The group said it is not yet known if Hwang paid respect to the late leader in Pyongyang, noting she went there alone.
Hwang hurriedly embarked on the trip after Pyongyang said last week it would accept all condolence visits from private groups during a 13-day mourning period through Dec. 29, the group said.
South Korea has only allowed two groups of prominent families to visit the North to pay condolences, a restriction that has angered Pyongyang.
All trips to North Korea by South Koreans require prior government approval as the Koreas remain technically at war following a cease-fire at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.
It is not the first time the former student activist leader has visited the communist neighbor. Hwang served two and a half years in jail for her unauthorized trip to the North in 1999 to attend a unification ceremony.
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A progressive civic group calls for the Seoul government to allow people to travel to North Korea to pay respect to the late leader Kim Jong-il. (Yonhap) |
Later Monday, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office said it will press criminal charges against Hwang if she returns to South Korea, applying the national security law to punish her unauthorized trip and activities sympathizing with the communist regime.
It is not yet known whether the activist will come back to South Korea or to France after her trip.
Also on Monday, two South Korean female activist groups sent condolence messages to North Korea, Pyongyang's state media reported.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Korean Women's Association United and Women Making Peace offered their condolences over Kim Jong-il's death to the North's Chosun Democratic Women's Union. According to the report, the South Korean bodies also said they hoped to see cooperation between women of the two Koreas strengthened.
The KCNA also said 10 South Korean religious groups offered their condolence messages. The groups include the Korean Conference on Religion and Peace, the National Council of Churches in Korea and the Catholic Priests' Association for Justice.
Delegations led by Lee Hee-ho, the 90-year-old widow of late South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, and Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun have been the only civilians approved by the government to pay respects to Kim Jong-il in person. On Monday, Lee and Hyun met with Kim Jong-un, the North's new leader, at Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang, where the body of Kim Jong-il lies in state.
North Korea has repeatedly said South Korea's attitude toward condolences could affect the future course of inter-Korean relations.
ejkim@yna.co.kr
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