S. Korean Gov’t Confirms Arrest of Kim Jong Il’s Aide
I first blogged this story here. According to this report from the Donga Ilbo, he was released the following day to avoid provoking the North Korean government.
According to a number of sources familiar with North Korea on Wednesday, shortly before Kim Jong Il visited China (from January 10 to 18), Kang was arrested by
the police after it was revealed that he had illegally transferred ownership of a patch of land he owned there three or four years before. The South Korean government has recently confirmed this fact.
If the Chinese government really didn’t want to piss the North Koreans off, it could have found a quiet way to make its point. This arrest was meant to send a message to someone.