This week's release of two captive U.S. journalists by North Korea isbeing welcomed around the world, including in South Korea. The releasealso is renewing Seoul's focus on freeing its own citizens held in theNorth.
About the same time U.S. journalists Laura Ling andEuna Lee were captured by North Korean soldiers along the Chineseborder in late March, a South Korean executive was taken into NorthKorean custody.
He is known publicly only by his last name, Yu,and he helped administer a joint industrial venture in the North Koreancity of Kaesong. He is accused of making inflammatory comments aboutthe North Korean political system, and attempting to persuade a NorthKorean female worker in the zone to defect. Kaesong executives sayalcohol may have been a factor.
Pyongyang has not allowed Yu anyaccess to South Korean officials or legal counsel for more than fourmonths. As Ling and Lee celebrate Wednesday's release with theirfamilies in the United States, South Korean officials are still workinghard on Yu's case.
Chun Hae-sung, a spokesman with theUnification Ministry in Seoul, says the government is doing everythingit can to win the release of Yu, as well as four crew members of afishing boat that crossed into North Korean waters last month. However, he says Seoul is not thinking of sending a special envoy theway Washington did with former President Bill Clinton.
Mr.Clinton flew to Pyongyang on Tuesday on what was billed as a privatehumanitarian mission to secure the release of the two journalists, whohad been sentenced to 12 years hard labor. On Wednesday, he returnedhome with the women.
Moon Tae-young, a spokesman for the SouthKorean Foreign Ministry, says Mr. Clinton did use his meeting withNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Il to advocate for the release of theSouth Koreans.
He says Mr. Clinton urged the North to releasethe detainees on humanitarian grounds. Moon adds he expects "immediateprogress" on securing their freedom.
The very emotionalhomecoming of Ling and Lee is raising the profile of the South Koreandetentions. Lee Kang-rae is a senior official in South Korea'sopposition Democratic Party, which is typically softer in its criticismof the North than the ruling conservatives. Still, he says the North'srefusal to free the South's citizens creates bad will.
He sayshis party is "disappointed" with North Korea for discriminating betweenthe South and the United States. He says a consensus is building inthe South that there is something wrong with North Korea's attitude.
Inaddition to the five South Korean detainees dominating the headlines,South Korea believes the North has kept about 400 of its citizens sincethe Korean War was halted in 1953. About half of those are prisonersof war. The others are believed to have been abducted by North Koreanagents. Pyongyang denies any abductions.