[Summary] "Questioning the Basis for Defection" Older Brother of North Korean Shot Civil Servant Furious Over Defection Controversy

Brother of North Korea Shooting Victim Official: "Devastated, Distressed, and Struggling... Does the State Intend to Reveal North Korea's Atrocities?"
"If He Intended to Defect, Why Was His Official ID Still on the Boat?"

The older brother of government official A (47), who went missing near Soyeonpyeongdo in the northern West Sea and was killed by gunfire from North Korea, raised doubts about the possibility of his defection to the North on the 24th, based on A's government ID and other items left behind. The photo shows A's government ID. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] The older brother of civil servant A (47), who drifted near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea and was shot dead by North Korean soldiers, strongly criticized the military authorities' announcement of the incident's circumstances.

The military authorities judged that there was a possibility that A voluntarily defected to North Korea, citing factors such as A's good knowledge of the current direction and the use of a small floating object at sea, but the bereaved family pointed out that the grounds for defection were not valid.

A's older brother expressed his outrage in an interview with MBC on the 25th, saying, "It is absurd to claim defection by blaming debts or family issues."

A's family argues that since the deceased A had only been transferred to the relevant fishery patrol vessel after working on another ship for two years for just four days, there is a possibility that he mistook the rescue or slipped.

Earlier, the military and intelligence authorities announced that A attempted to defect to North Korea, drifted in North Korean waters, and was shot dead by North Korean forces on the 22nd.

The military authorities stated that considering A's good knowledge of the current direction, use of a small floating object at sea, and indication of defection intent to a North Korean vessel, it seems highly likely that he attempted voluntary defection.

In response, A's older brother posted on his Facebook on the 24th, saying, "The reports of the West Sea Fisheries Management Unit shooting death currently appearing in the media and broadcasts are about my younger brother," and lamented, "The government only talks about condemnation but has not even notified me, the bereaved family, in any way."

He complained, "Even though his ID card and civil servant badge were still on the ship, my brother was identified and the media is flooding out like trash."

He further pointed out, "No matter how good the weather at sea is, the tides are quite strong and change four times a day, unlike usual areas," and questioned, "Where did the word 'defection' and its grounds come from, and why is it specifically pointed out?"

He added, "He was missing and estimated to have drifted at sea for more than 30 hours, so did he swim there? The tides do not stay still, and at the time of the accident, it was the 11th tide. This area has much stronger tides than other regions. There are no facts, only fabricated stories treated as gossip for articles," he criticized.

The older brother of government official A (47), who went missing near Soyeonpyeongdo in the northern West Sea and was shot dead by North Korea, raised doubts about the possibility of his defection to the North on the 24th, based on the ID card and other items left behind by his younger brother. The photo shows the cabin where Mr. A stayed. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Later, the older brother posted another message, saying, "It is tragic and infuriating that a healthy citizen was pushed into North Korean waters and shot dead, yet he is being treated like a scoundrel," and added, "It is heartbreaking, painful, and physically exhausting, but I want to reveal the truth."

He continued, "During the approximately 30 hours of drifting at sea, at least 20 to 24 hours were spent drifting or floating in our waters. Where and what was our military doing during that time?" and questioned, "During the same time, I was desperately searching for my brother, and he was captured by the North almost unconscious and shot at, while the military remained silent?"

He raised his voice, saying, "Despite this shocking and tragic accident being the first time domestically that the military witnessed the shooting of our citizen, does the state intend to inform the international community of North Korea's atrocities? On what grounds do they push the narrative of defection?" He added, "At that time, I personally checked the current direction during the search, and it was toward Ganghwa Island."

Finally, he expressed outrage, saying, "If he intended to defect, why was his civil servant badge still on the ship? And if you have no money or family issues, does that mean you have to defect? Does having debt make you a bad person?"

Colleagues also appear to view the government's claim of possible defection as unlikely. A colleague of A from the West Sea Fisheries Management Unit stated in an interview with MBC, "If he was more than 10 km away, the survival rate would be low, and even if he intended to defect, he wouldn't have been so reckless."

Meanwhile, this is not the first time a South Korean civilian has died in North Korea due to gunfire. On July 11, 2008, Park Wangja, an ordinary housewife, was visiting Mount Kumgang for tourism and was shot from behind by a soldier at a North Korean army coastal post while walking along the coast, resulting in her death.

At that time, the Lee Myung-bak administration presented the 'three prerequisites' of fact-finding, prevention of recurrence, and personal safety guarantees after the incident, but North Korea refused. Consequently, the government banned tourism to Mount Kumgang for the protection of its citizens and intensified sanctions against North Korea due to its nuclear missile development.