The two, Choi Jae-bong and Kim Sung-yoon, are important members of the group "Protestant ministers." Police seized their offices and raided their homes. They contacted a Pyongyang spy to help a woman to return to North Korea, violating the National Security Law.

Seoul (AsiaNews) - The South Korean police have seized the offices and searched the homes of two Christian Protestant pastors accused of contacting a North Korean agent to help a woman to return to Pyongyang. The National Police Agency confirmed the raid: "We're looking for any evidence relevant to confirming the meeting between the pastors and members of an anti-government organization. It is a violation of the law on national security. "

This decree prohibits citizens of South from contacting North Koreans  "in any way" without the direct approval and involvement of the government. It also prohibits charitable activities or that in any way can benefit the North, unless it has been rubber stamped by the authorities.

The two pastors are Choi Jae-bong and Kim Sung-yoon. Both are important members of the Seoul based group "Protestant ministers”. According to the indictment, they contacted a spy for the Kim Jong-un regime of to help a woman, Kim Lyun-hee, who would have been forced by deception to cross the border and now wants to return to the North. Kim said she was cheated by a human trafficker.

The two pastors were not imprisoned but they are indicted. Their group has issued a statement criticizing the police decision as "an act intended to suppress religious activities in our country."

• KOREA
• Seoul
• Protestant
• pastors
• investigation
• illegal
• contact
• North