Presidential office vows to uncover truth behind controversial repatriation of North Korean fishermen
A North Korean fisherman, who was captured near the eastern inter-Korean sea border, resists as he is handed over to North Korean authorities in the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom in Nov., 2019. Courtesy of the Ministry of Unification
The presidential office on Wednesday slammed the controversial repatriation of two North Korean fishermen in 2019 as a potential "crime against humanity" and vowed to uncover the truth behind the case.
The statement came a day after the unification ministry released 10 photos of the two North Koreans being dragged across the inter-Korean border in November 2019 apparently against their will.
"If they were forcibly sent to the North even though they stated their intention to defect, this would be an anti-humanitarian crime and a crime against humanity that violates both international law and the Constitution," presidential spokesperson Kang In-sun said during a press briefing.
"The Yoon Suk-yeol government will fully determine the truth behind this case in order to restore the universal values of freedom and human rights," she said. (Yonhap)