NK fishermen rescued off Ulleung Island seek to defect, testing Lee administration

Some of the North Korean fishermen rescued off Ulleung Island reportedly want to defect, posing a test for President Lee Jae Myung’s administration as it seeks dialogue with Pyongyang.

They were among the six fishermen aboard a boat that the Navy and Coast Guard found drifting in international waters north of the island on Nov. 3.

Others reportedly wish to return to North Korea, with authorities questioning each crew member to establish their final wishes.

They could become the first North Koreans to defect following a publicly reported rescue since Lee took office in June 2025, at a time when his government appears to favor a low-key approach to avoid provoking Pyongyang and resume talks.

The Ministry of Unification declined Wednesday to confirm whether any of the fishermen had requested to defect, saying an investigation was underway.

“We cannot disclose details at this stage,” a ministry official told reporters when asked about an exclusive JoongAng Ilbo report published Tuesday that first reported the defect requests.

The newspaper wrote that the government plans to complete its joint investigation by mid-November before beginning repatriation procedures for those wishing to go back.

Difficult precedents

The case recalls earlier decisions on North Koreans who crossed the border, including the 2017-22 liberal Moon Jae-in administration’s forced repatriation of two fishermen in 2019 despite their expressed desire to defect.

Authorities at the time cited allegations that the two had killed fellow crew members.

Their return triggered a prolonged political and legal dispute over the government’s responsibility to protect North Koreans seeking to settle in the South.

More recently, during the political upheaval surrounding conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal from office, South Korea rescued North Korean vessels drifting at sea in March and May 2025.

After confirming that all aboard wished to return home, authorities repatriated them via the East Sea in July of the same year, shortly after Lee took office.

Asked about safeguards introduced since the 2019 incident, the unification ministry official said procedures have been established allowing criminal suspects to be referred to domestic investigative agencies.

Narrow room to maneuver

Analysts said the Lee administration faces a trickier task than Moon’s government, having to ensure that each fisherman can freely choose whether to settle in South Korea or return home without antagonizing the North Korean leadership already unwilling to engage in dialogue.

“This case will test the government’s principles for protecting North Koreans and its ability to restore public trust in its North Korea policy,” said Ahn Chan-il, head of the World Institute for North Korea Studies.

Kwak Jin-o, a research professor at Pai Chai University, said, “The Moon administration had channels of dialogue with Pyongyang, but those channels are now completely severed.”

The professor noted that Moon met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un three times during his presidency, although inter-Korean relations later soured.

“The breakdown in inter-Korean ties could make accepting defectors more politically sensitive for Lee and risk further tensions as he tries to restart talks.”

The Lee administration’s cautious approach was evident in the transfer of two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces in January 2025 while fighting for Russia.

Seoul kept their arrival confidential, citing concerns for the safety of them and their families, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed the transfer during his U.N. General Assembly address on Sept. 23. This sparked a diplomatic dispute over what Seoul said was a breach of a confidentiality agreement.