(LEAD) N. Korea frees S. Korean worker after months of detention

(ATTN: MODIFIES lead, UPDATES with detail, business group's reaction)
By Kim Hyun
SEOUL, Aug. 13 (Yonhap) -- North Korea released a South Korean Hyundai Asan
worker Thursday from four-and-a-half months of detention after the chairwoman of
the conglomerate traveled to Pyongyang at the North's invitation.

Yu Seong-jin, a technician with Hyundai Asan Corp., the Hyundai Group's North
Korea business arm, was handed over to his firm's officials at a joint park in
the North's border town of Kaesong at 5:10 p.m., said Unification Ministry
spokesman Chun Hae-sung.
Yu was detained at the joint park March 30 on accusations of criticizing the
North's political system and trying to persuade a local woman to defect to the
South. North Korea allowed Yu no access to his family or Seoul officials. It was
not immediately known whether his charges were cleared or if his firm paid
compensation.
"Mr. Yu Seong-jin is expected to arrive at the Inter-Korean Transit Office (of
South Korea) at around 7 p.m.," Chun said.
In a signal he would be freed, North Korea invited the chairwoman of the Hyundai
Group, Hyun Jung-eun, on Monday. Hyun is still in Pyongyang after extending her
trip twice, raising speculation she had a good chance of meeting with the North
Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
The release of Yu is expected to remove a major roadblock in the stalled
inter-Korean relations.
In his rural eastern hometown, Yu's aged, ailing parents were not yet fully
relieved, as they had yet to see their son. His company did not inform them of
the son's detention long after it occurred, worrying it would shock them and harm
their frail health.
"We want to see our son," his father, only identified by his family name Yu, said.
The Kaesong Industrial Council, which represents South Korean businesses
investing in Kaesong, welcomed Yu's release, hoping it will boost business
sentiment at the park. Yu's case has sparked security concerns at the park,
prompting some firms to consider withdrawing.
"We hope this incident will serve as an occasion to thaw the frozen inter-Korean
relations and energize the Kaesong industrial park," the council said in a
statement.
The joint park combining South Korean capital and technology with North Korean
labor was developed by Hyundai Asan and opened in late 2004. The venture now
hosts more than 100 South Korean small firms employing about 40,000 North
Koreans, producing clothing, kitchenware, electronic equipment and other
labor-intensive goods.
hkim@yna.co.kr
(END)