The man, who reportedly identified himself as Kim Jong-nam, was detained in Tokyo after he was caught trying to enter Japan on a false passport earlier this week. Accompanied by two women and a young boy, the man left for China early in the morning. Seoul officials have been following the case closely since it was first reported Thursday. They expressed concern that the incident could negatively affect the efforts of Pyongyang-Tokyo to normalize their relationship.
Japan is a key partner of South Korea in pursuing an engagement policy toward the North.
The Seoul government tried to distance itself from the case. Some watchers were full of optimism over the way Japan handled the incident, saying it will help improve the relationship between Pyongyang and Tokyo. North Korea may be grateful for Japan's swift deportation and also for not revealing his identity, they said. Others said North Korea may suspect that Japan deliberately leaked information on the man's illegal entry in an effort to weaken Pyongyang's position in their bilateral negotiations. Pyongyang may avoid contacts or toughen its stance out of humiliation, they said.