Hwang Jang-yop visits the U.S. until November 4

Hwang Jang-yop (78), the former Secretary of North Korea’s ruling Worker’s Party, took off to visit the U.S. on October 27.

After reserving for first-class by the name of K, an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hwang was said to have departed with seven people, including his adopted daughter and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and security guards.

Hwang arrived at Incheon Airport with his company, Yoon Dae-il and Kim Sung-min, who also defected from North Korea, at 7 a.m. on the same day and stayed at the first-class lounge of Korean Air for about three hours. After that, Hwang stepped on board at 10:15 a.m. – 15 minutes earlier than the deadline.

The police kept Hwang’s departure procedure a secret because there were clues that the students of Korea Federation of University Student Councils, or Hanchongryun, would form a “do-or-die group to block Hwang’s visit to the U.S.” and protest at the airport.

The students say Hwang is going to stay in New York and Washington until November 4 and take part in the regular forums held by the inviter, the Defense Forum, at the outhouse of the House of Commons. Furthermore, he will have meetings with high-level officials including John Bolton, the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, and James Kelly, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, during his visit. Although Hwang has tried to visit the U.S. numerous of times since 2001, he has been putting it off because the Korean government has not allowed it. Hwang defected to South Korea in 1997. He will come home on November 5 by Korean Air.

min07@donga.com