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The biography of Robert Kim, who was imprisoned for seven and a half years on charges of espionage, was published on Friday. He finally returned home on July 1 with an electronic monitoring device on his ankle. That is why his biography¡¯s title is ¡°Come Back Home.¡± His hidden prison life, espionage case and trial process are lively described in the book through his voice. He is currently banned from writing activities. This biography was written by a biographer, who interviewed Kim for the past two months.
The biography describes the scene in which U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence employee Kim handed over classified defense information to Colonel Baek Dong-il, a military attache at the Korean embassy in the U.S.
¡°I met with Colonel Baek at the Korean embassy. He appeared unusually nervous. ¡®Can we talk with the radio turned on?¡¯ To my questioning look, he smiled wanly. Noises from the radio interrupted our conversation. ¡®Mr. Kim, you should be careful. The envelopes you send to me are strange. This time¡¯s envelope was postmarked five day ago. Before it, envelopes were postmarked two or three day ago. I felt it was strange. So I carefully looked at the envelope and I found out that someone must have unsealed it. I think it is good for us not to contact one another for the time being.¡¯ Until then, I didn¡¯t understand what Colonel Baek was saying.¡±
Robert Kim said in the book that he gave 50 items of information on North Korea and North Korean people like the deployment of North Korean forces near the Truce Line and weapons North Korea imported and exported. Of them, Colonel Baek reported 39 items to his superiors and destroyed the other information on then South Korean political figures like Park Cheol-eon, Kim said.
Sept. 24 was the Korean Thanksgiving Day by the lunar calendar. Kim was invited to a party organized by the military attaché unit of the Korean embassy that day.
¡°When I pulled my champaign glass from my lips, an MP who was guarding outside approached me. ¡®Someone hit your car. Would you go outside to check it?¡¯ ¡®Are you sure? I think you are mistaken.¡¯ ¡®Go outside first.¡¯ I felt that something went wrong. Instantly before I stepped out of the gate, I saw Colonel Baek. His face turned pale and his wife was on the verge of bursting into tears.¡±
¡°My car was parked where I had parked it without any problem. A man and a woman took over me from the MP and showed something. ¡®We are working with the FBI. We've got to ask you something. Get on the car.¡¯ When the car began to drive, the two people handcuffed me. ¡®I¡¯m not a criminal. Why do you handcuff me? Please unlock it. It hurts my wrist. Just unfasten the watch.¡¯¡±
He was already reported as a big spy by ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN. A court sentenced him to nine years in prison on charges of espionage. He was moved from Alexandria Prison for prisoners under trial to Allenwood Prison in Pennsylvania
¡°I got into the habit of getting up at four O¡¯clock in the morning, washing up, praying and reading the Bible. Unless it was rainy, I took a walk for exercise. In order to pass the long winter, maintaining good health came before everything and I kept exercising no less enthusiastically than young people. I did 50 push-ups every day, jogged or lifted a barbell. I wanted to be discharged in a good condition and to live long as many years as I was deprived."
His house arrest will be lifted on July 27. But he will be on probation for the next three years. Robert Kim said in the preface, ¡°Many people call me a patriot. But I don¡¯t deserve it. I am only an ordinary person who genuinely loves his fatherland. True patriots are you who are trying to help a fellow [ethnic] countryman like me.¡±
(Choi Bo-sik, congchi@chosun.com )
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