Seoul advocates of N. Korea rights threatened

The Network for the Democratization and Realization of Human Rights in North Korea, a legal organization (Representative Jo Hyuk), reported to police the discovery of a package containing a three-page threatening letter and five white mice used for experiments. The package was discovered in front of the door to the organization's office around 8 a.m. Dec. 9.

The letter was addressed to five persons in the organization: Jo Hyuk; Han Ki-Hong, chief editor of "The Spirit of the Times"; Kim Young-Hwan and Hong Jin-Pyo, members of the editorial staff; and Jo Yoo-Shik, president of the Internet bookstore "Aladdin."

The letter stated, "Miscreant renegades! The miserable traitors, Kim Young-Hwan and his gang have unleashed their evil tongues to block reunification efforts."

The letter further stated: "Warning to the conservatives advocating the Cold War, the arcane National Security Laws and dependent on external foreign powers. The evil National Security Law, which opposes the people and reunification, must be abolished, and the criminal fascist organization, the administrative government, a sell-out to external powers, must be dismantled."

The letter ended with the North Korean inscription, " Dec. 19, 89 in the juche era."

Along with the letter, the package contained five dead white mice with the nametags of the five men around their necks. The mice had stab wounds throughout their bodies.

"We've had letters of threats through our Internet home page in the past," a source in the organization said. "The North Korean inscription and the noticeable Northern expression in the letter lead to the suspicion that an organization close to North Korea might have sent the package."