Pollard & Kim Cases Treated Differently

December 22, 1996 - Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA

Robert Kim was arrested on September 24 for spying on behalf of South Korea. Kim who, as Jonathan Pollard, worked as a civilian in Naval Intelligence, gave copies of classified information to the Naval Attache of the South Korean Embassy in Washington. The information included classified reports about North Korea and other Asian countries.

While Pollard was termed a monster who damaged America's security, Kim has received different treatment. Already the day that he was arrested, anonymous Pentagon sources told reporters that the incident was serious "but national security will not collapse."

Another official said that "this is not a serious blow. There is nothing to compare this to the Pollard affair." The White House issued a statement that "relations with South Korea are good and will withstand any actions of an individual." When the South Korean Minister of Defense visited in Washington the incident was not even raised.


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