The saga of a woman believed to be an ex-Aum Shinrikyo member who entered North Korea in August seeking asylum has taken another turn: she at one time spied on the cult for the government.
The woman, who reportedly entered North Korea via China, was identified by North Korean media last week as Kazumi Kitagawa, 29. The Foreign Ministry in Tokyo, while confirming the report, has refused to disclose the woman's name, age or other details, citing privacy concerns.
Kitagawa sold information to the Public Security Investigation Agency between 2000 and 2001, former agency official Hironari Noda told The Japan Times on Wednesday.