윤병세 "김정은 집권후 70여명 처형…김정일 같은기간보다 7배"

Published : Jul 9, 2015 - 18:12 Updated : Jul 10, 2015 - 10:17

윤병세 외교부 장관은 9일 "하나의 흐름으로 볼 때 북한 김정은 집권 이후 지난 3년 반 동안 (북한에서) 70여명이 처형당했다"면서 "김정일 위원장 당시 같은 기간에 10여명 정도이니, 거의 7배 정도가 증가했기 때문에 극히 이례적"이라고 평가했다.

윤 장관은 이날 서울 중구 프레스센터에서 열린 관훈클럽(총무 이선근 연합인포맥스 대표이사 사장) 토론회에서 '김정은 시대'의 북한이 장성택 등을 비롯해 고위급 인사의 잇따른 처형으로 공포정치를 하는 것과 관련해 이같이 말했다.

윤 장관은 "특히 밖에 나가 있는 일꾼들의 경우에는 그런 공포정치가 상당히 영향을 미치고 있는 조짐들을 저희도 여러 형태로 느끼고 있고, (관련 정보를) 수집하고 있다"고 전했다.

윤 장관은 "그런 사람 중에는 물론 일부 한국으로는 경우도 꽤 있다"면서 "점점 더 공포정치가 강화되고 경제가 어려워지고 인권침해가 심해지고 이렇게 되면 이런 추세가 어떻게 될지는 자명한 것 아닌가 하는 생각이 든다"고 강조했다.

그는 "그런 의미에서 앞으로 한반도 정세, 북한 내부 정세를 좀 더 면밀히 들여다봐야겠다는 생각을 정부도 갖고 있다"고 말했다.

윤 장관은 다만 "제가 분류를 해서 어떤 그룹이 어느 정도 오고, 제3국에 있고 그런 말씀을 드리기는 어렵다"고 말했다.

그는 이런 흐름을 북한의 붕괴 전조로 보느냐는 질문에 "정부에서는 붕괴라는 표현은 쓰지 않고 있다"면서 "과거보다 북한의 정세가 안보, 대북정책을 수립하는 데 있어서 굉장히 중요한 요소가 되고 있는 것은 사실"이라고 설명했다.

윤 장관은 최근 언론의 잇따른 북한 인사 망명 보도에 대해서는 "그런 보도가 많이 나오고 있는데 조금 부정확한 측면이 있다"면서 "특정 사안들의 경우에는 좀 틀린 경우도 많다"고 지적했다.

<관련 영문 기사>

Kim Jong-un's reign of terror fazes N. Korean workers abroad: FM Yun

North Koreans staying abroad are increasingly swayed by leader Kim Jong-un's reign of terror in their homeland and some of them actually seek asylum, South Korea's top diplomat said Thursday.

Three and a half years into power, the young North Korean leader has purged and executed more than 70 officials, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se noted.

"It is a sevenfold increase, compared with the first three years of Chairman Kim Jong-il's leadership. It's extremely unusual," he said at a forum hosted by a group of senior South Korean journalists, called the Kwanhun Club.

South Korea's spy agency has said North Korea has executed some 90 officials since Kim took power. It was not immediately known why there is a discrepancy in the number of those executed in the North.

Yun also said South Korea has detected signs "in various forms" that the North's "workers" abroad are especially disturbed by Kim's leadership style.

"In quite a few cases, some of them come to South Korea," he said.

He did not clarify whether he was referring to government or communist party officials or ordinary North Koreans working overseas to earn foreign currency.

Yun's remarks came amid multiple media reports that some middle- and high-ranking North Korean officials, including military officers, have recently defected to the South.

But he said many related news reports involving specific figures are incorrect.

The minister, meanwhile, said President Park Geun-hye and her U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama, are expected to reach an important deal on ways to deal with North Korea when they meet in Washington later this year.

Park initially planned to visit the U.S. capital in June for a meeting with Obama, but she postponed it due to the outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome virus in South Korea.

Yun said the allies will soon fix a new schedule for the president's trip, reportedly slated for autumn.

"During the president's trip to the U.S., I think there will be an important agreement on the North Korea issue," he said.

Park and Obama plan to share "more advanced and updated common perceptions supported by China, Japan and Russia as well."

On the possibility of Park attending a war anniversary ceremony in Beijing in September, the minister said it will be decided in consideration of various factors.

Both Park and the North's leader have been invited to the event to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The North does not appear to be interested in leader Kim's participation, he said.

Yun said South Korea is also working hard to resume trilateral summit talks with China and Japan within this year.

In that regard, both Seoul and Beijing will pay heed to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's speech expected around Aug. 15, the anniversary of the end of World War II.

"It would be a golden opportunity for the prime minister to dispel doubts about his perception of history," Yun said.

If three-way summit talks are arranged, the venue will be South Korea and it would also set the stage for a bilateral meeting between the leaders of South Korea and Japan, he added. (Yonhap)