S. Korean pilot under probe for pro-North Korea activities

SEOUL, Oct. 19 (Yonhap) -- A local pilot with a South Korean passenger airline is under police investigation on suspicion of uploading pro-North Korean materials on the Internet in breach of the National Security Law, police said Wednesday.

The 44-year-old plane captain surnamed Kim posted about 60 articles or video clips that extol or propagandize the virtues of the communist country on his website, the National Police Agency said.

Kim has been barred from leaving the country following the launch of the investigation. His airline, after being notified of the probe, suspended him from flying on fear that he would fly northward to defect to the communist country, the police noted.

Kim's posting of pro-North content, some of which was produced in the North, goes against the anti-North Korea law that prohibits issuing or possessing such materials, the police also noted.

Police said they searched Kim's home on Tuesday and confiscated around 10 North Korean books and his computer, which had pro-North materials on it. After examining them, police said they plan to call him in for interrogation.

The police investigation also found that Kim was a member of an extremist pro-North Internet community whose operations are now being suspended.

"A further probe will be focused on discovering whether he led active pro-North activities, including personal contact with (pro-North campaign) related people offline," a police official said.

The country regulates Internet content that extols or propagandizes the North Korean leader or the political system of North Korea, which is by law defined as a national enemy since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.