金賢姬探訪日本(I)

Recently the NHK News reported the following:

大韓航空機爆破事件の実行犯で、「拉致被害者の横田めぐみさんと北朝鮮で会っていた」と証言しているキム・ヒョンヒ元死刑囚が、２０日来日します。キム元死刑囚が海外に出るのは爆破事件以降初めてで、拉致被害者の家族にどのような話が伝えられるのか注目されます。

大韓航空機爆破事件の実行犯で、北朝鮮で一時、拉致被害者の田口八重子さんから日本語を教わっていたキム・ヒョンヒ元死刑囚は去年、日本政府に対して横田めぐみさんとも会っていたことを明らかにしています。キム元死刑囚は「知っている情報をめぐみさんの両親に直接伝えたい」という意向を示しており、日韓両政府が調整を進めた結果、２０日に来日することになりました。キム元死刑囚が韓国から海外に出るのは、爆破事件で逮捕されて以降初めてです。キム元死刑囚は、政府のチャーター機で日本を訪れ、２３日までの４日間滞在し、横田めぐみさんや田口八重子さんの家族らと面会することになっています。面会でキム元死刑囚は、めぐみさんの当時の状況についてさらに詳しく証言する可能性があるほか、去年、ＮＨＫが行ったインタビューで「北朝鮮で八重子さんとめぐみさん以外の日本人拉致被害者のことも聞いていた」と証言していることから、どのような話が伝えられるか注目されます。

Hyon Hui Kim the direct perpetrator of the bombing of a KAL airliner and the former condemned prisoner who had testified to have, "Met abductee Megumi Yokota in North Korea" came to Japan on the 20th. It was the first time for Kim the former condemned prisoner to go out to foreign countries since the bombing and what story she would tell the abductee's family had attracted attention

Hyon Hui Kim former condemned prisoner because of her bombing of a KAL airliner and had learned Japanese from an abductee Yaeko Taguchi had clarified to Japanese Government last years that she had met Megumi Yokota in North Korea for a short while. Kim the former condemned prisoner showed the intention that "I want to pass on known information directly to Megumi's parents", and could go to Japan on the 20th since both the Japan and South Korea governments had made adjustment to facilitate the matter. After being arrested because of the bombing, it was the first time for Kim the former condemned to go out of South Korea to visit foreign countries. Kim the former condemned was supposed to visit Japan by the government chartered plane, and to stay for four days until the 23rd, and to see Megumi Yokota and Yaeko's Taguchi families. What story she would tell had attracted attention because besides the possibility of testifying more details about Megumi's condition at that time, Kim the former condemned in an interview with NHK last had had testified that "A Japanese abductee was also heard of in North Korea other than Yaeko and Megumi". (to be continued)