4 INDICTED ON ESPIONAGE CHARGES

[Anchor Lead]

4 individuals have been charged for allegedly carrying out anti-government activities after receiving orders by a North Korean spy organization disguised as the Cultural Exchange Bureau. The prosecution believe they met with North Korean spies in South Asian countries since 2016, and even received operational money.

[Pkg]

A woman walks out after an arrest warrant review. She is to be tried for violating the National Security Act. The prosecution claimed that she was in charge of the western Gyeongnam region under the People's Vanguard for Independent Unification, better known as the Changwon Spy Ring.

[Soundbite] (In charge of People's Vanguard for Independent Unification (Jan. 31)) : "(How did you answer the allegations?) ... (Did you meet with North Koreans in Southeast Asia?) ..."

The prosecution charged four people associated with the spy group - this woman, the spy ring boss, and the spies in charge of the eastern Gyeongnam and Seoul areas. They are accused of secretly contacting the spies from the North Korean spy organization disguised as the Cultural Exchange Bureau in Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries since 2016. The prosecution believe that they wrote a loyalty vow to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and received 7,000 dollars in operational fund. Investigative authorities also said that they held anti-government protests at North Korea's order, demanded the arrest of those who sent anti-North Korea leaflets over the border, and uploaded videos denouncing the Seoul-Washington summit via social media. The prosecution also claimed that when they exchanged intel with North Korea, they used steganography, a practice of hiding codes inside picture or music files. A prosecutor said that North Korea's spy operations are very serious since they aim to destroy South Koreans' freedom and they were indicted with only the minimal number of criminal facts proven with watertight evidence. The prosecution reported that the suspects' statements could not be obtained because they had refused to do so although the investigators had questioned them nine times during the 30-day detainment period. Attorneys representing the alleged spies said this is a case fabricated by abusing the National Security Act and that they will fight the charges in court.