Mr Chi has one of those weeks

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33603, 3 August 1974, Page 1

Mr Chi has one of those weeks

(By

KEN COATES)

Mr Heejune Chi, aged 42, a secondary school inspector from South Korea, in Christchurch on a 10-week Colombo Plan training course, wanted to make a state- ■ ment yesterday. It had not exactly been a high week for South Korea’s; image in New Zealand.; First, an official delegation' from North Korea arrived in Christchurch, Australia recognised the North, Mr Kirk isaid New Zealand would

eventually wish to open relations with North Korea, and in Christchurch, a public meeting was held about the persecution of Christians in South Korea. Mr Chi was, characteristically, at first, all smiles. But they turned to anxiety as he referred, not to these developments, but to a | rolled-up copy of “Canta,” I the Canterbury University student newspaper. “How could these be written?" asked Mr Chi, pointing i to two articles — one entitled “U.S. imperialists 'launch aggressive war in 1950” and another, “U.S. provoker of Korean War.” Said Mr Chi: “I was only seven years old at the time, and I know who attacked.”-

He said it seemed that some young people in New Zealand did not know what had happened. How about the once-rosy prospects of reunification of North and South in Korea? “Yes, we would all like that, but it does not seem possible now,” said Mr Chi. I . He produced a long, i jcyclostyled statement pre-1 Spared by the South Korean 'Embassy in Wellington,! isome passages heavily! underlined in pencil. One of these read: “North! Korea has shown no interest or sincerity about normalising the south-north dialogue, but has newly engaged in promoting acts against iislandj off th* west coast

which belong to our territ- i ory.” i Of recent protests in New ’ Zealand against the arrest of 1 students and Christians in South Korea, Mr Chi said he , did not know any details. j He conceded that to Westerners the Park regime ap-n peared to be taking repres- , isiVe measures against oppo- ■ sition, and that New Zea- , I landers found it hard to ac- , cept that criticism of the i constitution amounted to ! treason and was subject to ■ 'harsh penalties. “It is a question of what ; freedom can be allowed,” he; said. “Perhaps President! Park has reasons.” Mr Chi said he did not know about the Korean Cen- ; tral Intelligenca Agency's <

arrest and indictment as spies of two Japanese, one a well-known journalist and the other a research student. Neither did he comment on a report in the “Economist” which stated that the Red smear is familiar enough in South Korea, where it has long been used to discredit anyone who falls out of favour with the Park regime. "1 am not a politician,” Mr Chi hastened to add. “I like to see the good will.” He produced a Korean newspaper in which he said he had written interesting articles about New Zealand for Koreans. “I don’t want war again. I just want us to be friends,” Mid th* earnest Mr Chi.