NK weekly-inter-Korean news
Summary of inter-Korean news this week
SEOUL, Feb. 3 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of inter-Korean news this week.
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Unification minister asks for Buddhist circle's help in improving inter-Korean ties
SEOUL -- Unification Minister Kwon Young-se on Friday asked for the Buddhist circle's support in helping improve strained inter-Korean ties and revive exchanges with North Korea, his office said.
Kwon made the remarks during a meeting with Ven. Jinwoo, the president of the Jogye Order, the country's biggest Buddhist sect, at a memorial hall on Korean Buddhism history and culture in Seoul.
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Families of S. Koreans detained in N. Korea urge U.N. efforts for repatriation
SEOUL -- The families of South Korean detainees in North Korea on Thursday called for United Nations' efforts to win the release of their loved ones as they met a U.N. special rapporteur for the North's human rights.
During their talks with Elizabeth Salmon, family members of Kim Jung-wook and Kim Kuk-gi -- missionaries arrested by the North Korean authorities in 2013 and 2014, respectively -- urged the U.N. to step up efforts for the repatriation.
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Activist indicted over alleged unauthorized contact with N. Korea spies
JEONJU, South Korea -- A progressive South Korean activist has been indicted on charges of making unauthorized contact with North Korean spies, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Ha Yeon-ho allegedly violated the National Security Law that bans unauthorized contact with North Koreans, the Jeonju District Prosecutors Office said. He is the head of a progressive civic organization, Jeonbuk People Movement, which is based in North Jeolla Province.
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4 S. Korean activists arrested for alleged anti-gov't activities upon N.K. orders
SEOUL -- Four South Korean activists were arrested Wednesday on charges of conducting anti-government activities after taking orders from North Korea.
The Seoul Central District Court approved the prosecution's request to detain the four, saying they are a flight risk and could destroy evidence.
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(LEAD) Ex-Ssangbangwool chief said to have paid N. Korea US$8 mln in 2019 on behalf of Lee, Gyeonggi Province
SEOUL -- An arrested underwear tycoon allegedly said he delivered US$8 million to North Korea in 2019 to help promote Gyeonggi Province's smart farm project and then Gov. Lee Jae-myung's visit to the North, informed officials said Tuesday.
Kim Seong-tae, former chairman of underwear maker Ssangbangwool Group, who was nabbed in Thailand in early January after months on the run, reportedly made the controversial remarks during questioning by prosecutors in Suwon, 34 kilometers south of Seoul.
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S. Korean man arrested for illegally supplying fuel to North Korea
MOKPO, South Korea -- The Coast Guard has arrested a man on charges of illegally providing fuel to North Korea via a Chinese vessel, officials said Monday.
The oil dealer in his 50s is accused of supplying 19,000 tons of diesel to the North on a total of 35 occasions from October 2021 to January 2022 without government approval.
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