"Our Kongju" Hit Public Official Was a Proud Father Sharing About His Son and Daughter on SNS

West Sea Fisheries Management Unit Activities Featured
Actively Engaged in Volunteer Work

Mr. A, a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who was shot and killed by North Korean soldiers in the waters near Soyeonpyeongdo. / Photo by A, captured from Facebook

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] A, a public official from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries who went missing near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea and was shot dead by North Korean forces, often expressed affection for his family on his social network service (SNS). He was a father of two children, and it was confirmed that he frequently posted photos of his young daughter.

On the 24th, Asia Economy confirmed that A’s Facebook frequently featured photos and posts depicting the everyday life of an ordinary father.

A uploaded activity videos from the West Sea Fisheries Management Unit’s Facebook page to his account and also shared news article links introducing the crackdown on illegal Chinese fishing vessels.

He also appeared to be actively involved in volunteer work. He posted photos on Facebook of volunteering at a shelter for single mothers in Mokpo, Jeollanam-do, recently, describing it as "precious hard work." In addition, he participated in briquette delivery volunteer work with his fellow public officials.

It was confirmed that A had one son and one daughter. His SNS frequently featured photos of his son and daughter. When his middle school son achieved excellent grades on a school exam, he took and posted a photo of the report card. Especially, he regularly posted photos documenting his young daughter’s growth. In February, he posted a photo of his daughter skating, writing, "My daughter skating for the second time in her life," and on Christmas Eve last year, he affectionately referred to his daughter as "our Kkongju."

Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of National Defense, A went missing on the 21st in waters 2 km south of Soyeonpyeongdo Island. On the day A went missing, around 11:30 a.m. during lunchtime, other crew members reported him missing to the coast guard after noticing he was not visible. At that time, a shoe presumed to have been taken off by A was found inside the vessel.

The next day (the 22nd), military authorities detected signs through surveillance assets that A was found in North Korean waters. It is presumed that North Korean forces fired shots at A around 9:40 p.m. that day. Furthermore, it is understood that North Korean personnel, wearing protective suits and gas masks, approached the missing person’s body and burned it.