Why did Chung Eui-yong, Suh Hoon and Kim Yeon-chul defend the 2019 return of the North Korean fishermen?

They argued that the case was not a simple forced return of defectors but a deportation of people accused of serious, inhumane crimes. They said those allegations made the case different from other North Korean defection cases.

What did the Seoul High Court decide about the officials’ convictions in the North Korean fishermen repatriation case?

The court upheld the convictions of Chung Eui-yong, Suh Hoon and Kim Yeon-chul, finding that they violated the fishermen’s basic rights, including the right to a trial. It overturned Noh Young-min’s conviction because his involvement in the repatriation was difficult to determine.

What happened to the two North Korean fishermen after they were captured near the eastern maritime border in 2019?

South Korea sent them back to North Korea after they were accused of killing 16 crew members, although they had expressed an intent to defect to the South. The repatriation drew criticism because South Korea maintains a policy of accepting North Korean defectors.

Ex-officials defend 2019 repatriation of NK fishermen as criminal deportation

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Summary

Three former officials defended the 2019 repatriation of two North Korean fishermen in a statement issued Thursday, calling it a deportation of criminals. Chung Eui-yong, Suh Hoon and Kim Yeon-chul said the case differed from other defection cases because the fishermen were accused of serious crimes. The Seoul High Court upheld their convictions for violating the fishermen’s basic rights, including their right to a trial, but overturned Noh Young-min’s conviction because his involvement was difficult to determine.

Key Facts

The fishermen were captured near the eastern maritime border and had expressed an intent to defect to South Korea.
They had been accused of killing 16 crew members.
The three former officials issued their statement a day after the Seoul High Court sentenced them to suspended prison terms.
The court upheld a lower court’s convictions of Chung, Suh and Kim.
People who attempt to defect from North Korea are said to risk punishment ranging from torture to death if caught or sent back.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 22, 2026 3:06 pm KST
Updated Oct 22, 2026 3:07 pm KST

From left, Chung Eui-yong, former national security adviser; former National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon; former presidential chief of staff Noh Young-min; and former Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul arrives at the Seoul High Court, Wednesday. Yonhap

Three former officials convicted of forcibly repatriating North Korean fishermen in 2019 defended the move Thursday, describing it as a deportation of criminals.

Chung Eui-yong, former national security adviser, Suh Hoon, former National Intelligence Service director, and Kim Yeon-chul, former unification minister, made the assertion in a statement issued a day after the Seoul High Court sentenced them to suspended prison terms for their involvement in the case.

"The reality of this case is not a simple forced repatriation of North Korean defectors," the statement said. "It was a deportation measure against criminals who fled to the South after committing serious inhumane crimes."

The three served in former President Moon Jae-in's administration in November 2019, when Seoul deported two North Korean fishermen back to North Korea after they were captured near the eastern maritime border. The fishermen had been accused of killing 16 crew members.

The move sparked outcry from critics as the fishermen had expressed their intent to defect to South Korea, which maintains a policy of accepting North Korean defectors.

In Thursday's statement, the officials said the case could not be treated the same as other North Korean defection cases, citing the seriousness of their alleged crimes.

In its verdict, the Seoul High Court upheld a lower court's convictions for the three former officials, ruling that they had violated the basic rights of the North Korean fishermen, such as their right to a trial.

It, however, overturned the lower court's conviction of former presidential chief of staff Noh Young-min, citing the difficulty in determining his involvement in the repatriation.

Those who attempt to defect from North Korea are said to often face severe punishment, ranging from torture to death, when they are caught or sent back to the North.

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