金賢姬探訪日本(II)

Recently the NHK News reported the following:

ただし政府は、警備上の問題があるとして滞在日程を非公開とする方針で、記者会見なども行われない見通しです。キム・ヒョンヒ元死刑囚の入国にあたっては、２つの課題がありました。１つは、北朝鮮の工作員だったキム元死刑囚が、１９８７年に起きた大韓航空機爆破事件の実行犯として韓国当局に逮捕されたあと、裁判で死刑判決を受けていることです。出入国管理法では、１年以上の懲役もしくは禁固刑が確定した外国人の日本への上陸を認めていないため、入国にあたっては特例措置をとる必要がありました。この点について政府は「キム元死刑囚の来日が、拉致問題の進展につながる可能性がある」として法務大臣の裁量で入国を特別に許可することを決めました。また、キム元死刑囚は爆破事件の際、「蜂谷真由美」という日本人名義の偽造旅券を使っていた疑いが持たれているため、通常であれば入国にあたって日本の警察当局による事情聴取の対象となります。これについて警察当局は、面会を実現させたい政府の意向を優先し、事情聴取は見送る方針です。
However, because of security problems government's decision was to assume the whole period of the stay to be closed-door, no press conference would be held.There were two problems concerning entering the country by Hyon Hui Kim the former condemned. One was that Kim as a former condemned prisoner and a North Korean agents that had received the death sentence in a trial by South Korea authorities after she was arrested for being the direct perpetrator of the bombing of a KAL airliner occurred in 1987. Under the Immigration-Control and Refugee - Recognition Act, a foreigner who had been sentenced the penal servitude or the imprisonment of one year or more was not allowed to enter and land in Japan, thus preferential measure was needed. On this point the government decided that the entering of the country was exceptionally and was permitted at the Minister of Justice's discretion because "There is a possibility that the visit to Japan by Kim the former condemned may lead to progress in the abduction matter". Moreover, Kim the former condemned had used the forged passport with a Japanese name "Mayumi Hachiya" when committed the bombing, therefore when she entered the country, she became the object for questioning by the police authority of Japan as a matter of routine procedure. The police authority gave priority to the intention of the government that wanted the interview be materialized, and the questioning would be a schedule for the future only.

To some Japanese families, Kim's visit would provide answers to some of the mystery on abduction.