DATE=12/30/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=JAPAN - N. KOREA SPY (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-257613
BYLINE=TANYA CLARK
DATELINE=TOKYO
CONTENT=

VOICED AT:


INTRO: Authorities in Japan confirmed Thursday that a 
Japanese citizen accused of spying by North Korea is 
being detained in a hotel in Pyongyang. Tanya Clark 
reports from Tokyo, North Korean officials have 
accused Takashi Sugishima of receiving money from 
Japan and South Korea to gather secret information.


TEXT: Japan's Foreign Ministry says North Korean 
sources have told them Takashi Sugishima has been 
detained and is unable to leave a hotel in Pyongyang 
set aside for foreigners. 

Mr. Sugishima, a retired journalist, left Japan for 
North Korea on November 29th.  North Korea's Central 
News Agency says he was detained for spying activities 
December 4th.

Mr. Sugishima's detention came on the heels of a visit 
to Pyongyang by a Japanese delegation that laid the 
ground work for talks on renewed ties between the two 
countries.  The group, led by former Japanese Prime 
Minister Tomiichi Murayama, visited North Korea from 
the first to the third of December. 

Since the visit, Japan has announced the lifting of 
all sanctions against North Korea --
in place since Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile 
over Japan in August last year.

Negotiations are still underway on Japan's resumption 
of food aid to North Korea.  Japan is insisting 
resumption of food shipments depends on progress in 
talks now underway on normalizing relations. 

Some analysts have raised concerns that North Korea 
could be making accusations against Mr. Sugishima to 
strengthen its hand in the renewed negotiations.

Although Mr. Sugishima went to North Korea as the 
member of a research delegation from the Japan Market 
Economy Institute, Japanese media reports quote the 
head of the institute as saying he allowed Mr. 
Sugishima to join the delegation as a
personal favor.

Japan's Foreign Ministry says it is still waiting for 
more details of the incident from Pyongyang.

NEB/TC/FC/PLM 



30-Dec-1999 02:03 AM EDT (30-Dec-1999 0703 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.