Seoul District Prosecutor's Public Security Division Director Hwang Gyo-ahn announced Thursday that he was stepping up the investigation into two activists identified as Kim aged 32 and Jo aged 28, who allegedly attempted to take executive director Tami Overby aged 44 as a hostage during a sit-in protest at the AMCHAM office in Seoul. Hwang said the activists cornered 12 AMCHAM staff to one side of the office and tried to take her hostage, but police and workers prevented this.

The suspects Kim and Jo are labor unionists at a company in Gyeonggi Province have refused to cooperate with police and are remaining silent. The prosecutor is also investigating over how Kim was involved in the protest as a worker, not a college student.

The prosecution is also seeking arrest warrants for additional six students, including a senior student at "K" university identified as Jeong aged 23, on charges of violating National Security Law. Jeong is suspected of orchestrating the Monday's protest in the AMCHAM office and has been on the wanted list as a senior member of the 9th-term Federation of Korean University Student Councils, which was identified as an enemy benefiting organization.

Of 32 activists detained, 11 students have had arrest warrants sought against them, four students have been indicted and 7 are still being investigated.

(Choi Jae-hyeok, jhchoi@chosun.com )