Chosun Ilbo, July 26 2004

Travel Ban Not to be Imposed on Dissident Scholar Song Du-yul

A South Korean-born German professor who was convicted and jailed for seven years in March for working for North Korea was freed last week after his sentence was overruled and reduced by a South Korean court.
It's a ruling that reflects the court's changing view of the threat from North Korea, along with Seoul's diplomatic relationship with Germany.
Song Du-yul, who returned home last year after nearly four decades in exile, will not be banned from leaving the country as he awaits trial at the Supreme Court.
Fearing a diplomatic row with Germany, prosecutors here have tentatively agreed not to impose a travel ban on Korean-German professor Song Du-yul.
Earlier last week, Song was acquitted of all charges related to violations of the National Security Law, which bans all unauthorized contacts with North Korea.
The 59-year-old professor was sentenced to seven years in prison in March for holding a membership in the North's workers party.
But a Seoul appellate court ruled the evidence against Song was insufficient and did not prove that he was a member of the North Korean Workers Party's Politburo.
While dismissing most of the charges, the court did however find the scholar guilty of receiving money from North Korea and sentenced him to three years in prison with a five year suspended sentence.

Prosecutors have appealed to the Supreme Court and despite speculation that Song may be restricted from leaving the country the prosecution says for now there are no plans to ban him from traveling outside the country.

url: http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200407/200407260011.html