ROK-hired agent 'on task to kill Kim Jong-il'

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) claimed yesterday that it has arrested an agent hired by the Republic of Korea (ROK), who it strongly suggested was tasked with assassinating the country's top leader, Kim Jong-il.

The DPRK's Ministry of State Security said in a statement it had arrested a DPRK citizen on a "terrorist mission" ordered by a ROK intelligence organization "to do harm to the top leader" of the DPRK.

The statement, carried by the country's official Korean Central News Agency, did not mention Kim Jong-il by name, but ROK Unification Ministry spokesman Kim Ho-nyeon said the DPRK's state media has before used such wording to refer to him.