Gov't apologizes to family of official killed by North Korea

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Sun, October 1, 2023 | 23:38

Politics

Gov't apologizes to family of official killed by North Korea

Posted : 2022-06-16 16:49

Updated : 2022-06-17 16:09

Incheon Coast Guard chief Park Sang-choon speaks about a South Korean government official killed by North Korean military in September 2020, during a press conference at the coast guard office in Incheon, Thursday. Yonhap

Yoon administration reverses previous gov't's stance on fisheries official's death

By Nam Hyun-woo

The government on Thursday dropped its plan to appeal to a higher court about the ruling that it should disclose information related to a South Korean fisheries official killed by North Korea's military in 2020. The government expressed regrets about the previous Moon Jae-in administration's "inappropriate" explanation that the official attempted to defect to North Korea.

According to the presidential office, the legal representative of the Office of National Security has withdrawn its appeal to the Seoul High Court on the Seoul Administrative Court's decision ordering the government to reveal information related to the deceased official, surnamed Lee.

Following the withdrawal, the administrative court's decision was confirmed as the final ruling, meaning that the government has to reveal relevant information that the security office received from the Coast Guard and the defense ministry from 6:36 p.m. to 10:11 p.m. on Sept. 22, 2020, the day Lee was shot to death hours after going missing the previous day while on duty near South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island.

However, many of the key reports were designated as presidential records during the previous Moon administration. The previous administration then suggested that Lee appeared to have attempted to defect to the North due to financial difficulties

The Office of National Security said "the office cannot reveal related documents as they were designated as presidential records" and "it is regretful" that the office cannot practice due measures for the bereaved family.

"The office hopes the withdrawal will help correct the unfair measures of the past that restricted information even though a national was killed by the North Korean military," the office said in a statement.

It added that Kim Tae-hyo, first deputy director of the office had a call with the brother of Lee on Thursday morning and explained the situation on behalf of President Yoon.

Then-presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol talks to a bereaved family member of a South Korean government official killed by North Korean military in September 2020, at the ruling People Power Party's headquarters on Yeouido, Jan. 31. Courtesy of People Power Party

Following the presidential office's measures, the Coast Guard and the Ministry of National Defense said in a press conference that it has "failed to find evidence proving Lee's intention to defect to the North," reversing its earlier explanation that Lee appeared to have tried to defect to North due to debts.

"The Coast Guard has conducted multiple field investigations to check various possible scenarios including the defection, but it failed to find evidence proving his intention to defect," said Park Sang-choon, head of Incheon Coast Guard.

"There have been difficulties in the investigation because the case took place in North Korean waters, and it took one year and six months for international cooperation," Park said. "We apologize to the bereaved family."

The Ministry of National Defense also said in a statement that it caused confusion by announcing on Sept. 24 that it assumed that the official attempted to defect to the North, and "the ministry regrets not revealing everything due to security reasons."

The moves are in line with President Yoon Suk-yeol's election pledge that he would reveal every document related to Lee's death and redeem his tarnished reputation.

"With a civilian being killed and burnt ruthlessly by the North Korean military, we couldn't gain access to the full records of the case," an official at the presidential office said. "If he was blamed, in a groundless framing, that he attempted to defect to the North, we believe the truth should be found."

namhw@koreatimes.co.kr