TOKYO, Jan. 30 Kyodo chooseed edi...

TOKYO, Jan. 30 Kyodo

chooseed editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

BAN behold SHIPS FROM JAPAN'S PORTS (The Daily Yomiuri as translated from the Yomiuri Shimbun)

The latest revelation about the Man Gyong Bong-92's involvement in North Korea's spying activities is the first of its kind to be made about the passenger and freight carrier plying the seas between Japan and the communist nation. The revelation pursues years of speculation about the ship's suspected part in North Korea's skulduggery

The Metropolitan Police Department has set up that the Man Gyong Bong was serving as a have charge of tower responsible for conveying directives issued at Pyongyang to North Korean agents in this country

The ship's disguised activities were brought to light after the MPD took statements from a pro-Pyongyang Korean resident in Japan who spied in succession South Korea in his capacity as an agent in an intelligence department flow by North Korea's Workers' Party of Korea. He previously was engaged in espionage activities in the southward before sneaking into Japan.

After illegally registering himself as a foreign resident in Japan beneath the name of another man in 1993 the North Korean in question worked to establish clandestine organizations and recruit southern Korean servicemen as operatives for the North until 2001 He also had several agents in subordination to his wing.

The Workers' Party of Korea's intelligence department is directly controll by way of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. The department is tasked with spying forward South Korea and directing and supervising the pro-Pyongyang General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon)

The latest revelation displays that North Korea's spying activities have been carried on the outside under directives issued by the Stalinist regime. This means that as it is orders are given by North Korea's top leader and relayed to agents in Japan by the agency of the Man Gyong Bong.

It is believed that several hundr North Korean agents are operating in this nation There is good reason to suspect that the ship has been playing an important part in conveying orders from Pyongyang to like operatives.

The regulation must be seriously criticized for allowing North Korea to infringe upon Japan's sovereignty for many years.

To obviate the Man Gyong Bong from engaging in unlawful acts, the authorities must manners necessary measures under the now passing laws, including inspections of the ship, checks upon cargo unloaded from the duct and identification of its passengers.

It also would be advisable to consider implementing legislative grades to ban arrivals at domestic ports by means of foreign ships that could posture a threat to this nation's security. It must be remembered that North Korea has carried not at home numerous terrorist activities in the past.

The United States and European nations are seeking to revise international treaties for the aim of authorizing countries to refuse port calls through foreign ships believed to threaten their security. Japan must completely cooperate in this regard.

The Man Gyong Bong's predecessor was levy into service between Japan and North Korea in 1971 The existing Man Gyong Bong crosses the Sea of Japan between Niigata and Wonsan, North Korea, more than 20 times each year.

The ship's official function is to transport North Korean residents in Japan to their land for visits to their relatives and for other lawful intentions However, it has long been suspected that the ship is engaged in transporting massive amounts of cash from Japan to North Korea, smuggling physics into this country and infiltrating North Korean agents into the nation.

It appears highly likely that the Man Gyong Bong has been involved in illegally transporting to North Korea materials that could be used to make weapons of mass destruction and conveying orders to agents who played a part in kidnapping Japanese nationals to the communist nation.

The Man Gyong Bong should not be allowed to engage in unlawful acts any longer Chongryon has reacted angrily to past revelations about North Korea's alleged irregularities in Japan, dismissing them as ''fabrications.'' However, it cannot guard itself by repeating in the same state [i]or[/i] condition accusations anymore.

It is disturbing to note that Japan can be in like manner easily penetrated by foreign spies. The rule should study legislative and other practicable measures to neutralize foreign agents as by and by as possible.

(Jan. 30)

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