The Lovers and the Despot Page #5

---

Now, at that time,

no one had ever heard

Kim Jong-il say anything.

We didn't know

what his voice sounded like.

My wife is originally

from Korea.

I thought it would be useful

if she could help me

listen to a few of these tapes,

to see if

they sounded authentic.

So, for some silly reason,

we were sitting in bed,

and we actually covered

our heads with the sheets

while we were listening covertly

to these tapes.

Kim Jong-il:

(speaking Korean on tape)

Choi:
(speaking Korean)

(tires screech)

(tram bell rings)

On March 13th, Shin Sang-ok,

a former South Korean

movie producer,

who has been working

in North Korea,

and Choi Eun-hee,

approached the US government

and sought assistance.

We have given them assistance,

but I can't give you

anything further.

Dean S. Robinson:

In Vienna, we would expect

that any defector

that's going to walk in

is either an Eastern-bloc

military person,

an Eastern-bloc intelligence

officer or a diplomat.

Film people from North Korea...

that's interesting. That's...

That's not something you see

very often on the radar.

That's not what

you would expect.

They spent considerable time,

sitting down talking

to the intelligence authorities

about every single aspect

of that story.

This story could sound funny,

if we were the suspicious

kind of people.

When I met Shin and Choi

for the first time,

they were so uneasy.

They were so ill at ease.

Some people said

Choi was really kidnapped.

But Shin was not kidnapped,

he walked into North Korea.

That was a widespread story.

Rissient:
Everyone was convinced

in South Korea

that he had gone willingly.

For whatever it means,

every single person

at that time thought that.

(Kim Jong-il's

indistinct voice on tape)

On the tape,

Kim Jong-il confessed

that he had to kidnap

Shin and Choi

to North Korea

to improve the North Korean

film business.

Kim Jong-il:

(speaking Korean on tape)

(speaking Japanese)

The truth about the kidnap,

I think,

unless there really is

a solid source in North Korea,

a trustable source...

I think we shall never know.

Anyway, they were brought

to the United States.

The United States government

accepted their asylum

in the United States.

(speaking Korean)

(speaking English)

(speaking Korean)

(laughs and cries)

(chuckles)

(indistinct chatter)

Myung-yim:
(speaking Korean)

(cries)

Jeong-kyun:
(speaking Korean)

Choi:
(speaking Korean)

(sighs)

(indistinct chatter)

(crowd sobbing)

(explosion)

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes