After nearly two months of investigation, prosecutors have indicted Song Du-yul, a Korean-born German sociology scholar, on charges of serving as a member of the Politburo of North Korea's Workers' Party.
Park Man, senior prosecutor of the Seoul District Prosecutors Office in charge of the case, said yesterday Mr. Song has expressed no regrets. The professor from Muenster University in Germany reportedly told the prosecutors during questioning that he respects Kim Il Sung, the late founder of North Korea.
"Taking into account the gravity of the case and fairness with regard to other national security law violators, we decided to indict him with detention," Mr. Park said.
Mr. Song, 59, returned to Korea two months ago after 36 years in exile. Shortly after his arrival, he was detained for an investigation into alleged violations of the National Security Act. In South Korea, where communism is banned by law, Mr. Song's case has been highly charged.
The prosecutors said Mr. Song, after joining the Workers Party in 1973, promoted North Korea's ideology of juche, or self-reliance. He is also accused of influencing some South Korean students in Germany to defect to the North under instructions from Pyeongyang.
The indictment said Mr. Song allegedly visited the North 22 times since 1973 and received up to $104,000 from the North for espionage operations. The court has not yet assigned a trial date for Mr. Song.


by Ser Myo-ja <myoja@joongang.co.kr>