Ha Tae-kyung: "North Korea Responds to President's End-of-War Declaration by Executing Our Citizens"

Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, is questioning at the confirmation hearing for Won In-chul, the nominee for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held on the morning of the 18th at the National Defense Committee in the National Assembly, Yeouido, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hana Na] On the 24th, Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the People Power Party, said, "North Korea responds to the President's declaration of the end of the war by executing our citizen?" and "I urgently request the National Assembly's Defense Committee, Intelligence Committee, and Foreign Affairs Committee to be convened."

On the same day, Ha posted on his Facebook, "There was a shocking news report overnight. The President proposed a declaration to end the war, but North Korea committed the atrocity of killing our citizen," he said.

He added, "There are more than one or two points in the news report about this incident that are not logically understandable. Why did the fisherman go to North Korea, why did North Korea execute the fisherman, and when did the fisherman die?"

He also said, "I do not understand why the President made such an unexpected proposal for a declaration to end the war when the inter-Korean relations are this hostile."

Ha emphasized, "We must urgently convene the National Assembly's Defense Committee and Intelligence Committee to ascertain the facts of the incident and discuss our response measures."

A crew member A (47) of a fisheries guidance vessel under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries went missing on the 21st while drifting at sea with the intention of defecting to North Korea during his duties on the fisheries guidance vessel.

Mr. A was shot by North Korean forces from a distance and died, and intelligence authorities have tentatively confirmed that North Korea recovered the body and cremated it.