Brother of North Korean Shooting Civil Servant: Accepting North Korea's Apology Means 'Only Partially' Accepting It

Lee Rae-jin: "Considered National Situation... If Northward Defection Claims Persist, Military Will Be Negligent"

Reasons for Presuming and Accepting Northward Defection by Mentioning Personal Matters Must Be Thoroughly Revealed

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] The older brother of Mr. A, a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who was shot by North Korean forces, stated that he does not fully accept North Korea's apology.

Mr. Lee Raejin, the older brother of Mr. A, said in a phone interview with Asia Economy on the 26th, "Because of the country's situation, we said we would accept the apology, but that does not mean we fully accept it."

He continued, "My younger brother's body is still in North Korea, and when we said we would not accept the apology, it could have caused disruptions to future schedules such as the repatriation of the body, so we said we would accept the apology," emphasizing, "This was not a simple assault with an apology, but a horrific murder, so we cannot easily accept the apology."

He also strongly criticized the government and military for labeling Mr. A as a defector to the North.

He stated, "Currently, the government and military are mercilessly accusing my brother of defecting to the North," and added, "We believe he fell into the sea by accident and drifted, not that he defected."

He further argued, "If he had intended to defect, he would have taken his official ID and personal belongings, but everything was left as it was," and "He had a routine phone call with his children the day before, so it is incomprehensible that he suddenly decided to defect."

He also said, "If he had defected, he would have been arrested or shot south of the NLL, so he would not have died alone and tragically in North Korea," and expressed anger, "If they keep insisting on defection, isn't our military complicit?"

He added, "It's not that we don't trust the government, but it seems the military, a special organization, is out of control," and said, "To cover up their mistakes, they labeled my brother as a defector, sacrificing the family and colleagues," urging, "The government should reveal the reasons for labeling it as defection instead of an accident through an accurate investigation."

Finally, he said, "Please allow my brother's body to return to the family as soon as possible," and added, "The reasons for presuming defection and accepting it as a fact, without scientific logic and by bringing up personal family and financial issues, must also be clearly revealed."

He emphasized that they are only partially accepting the apology, not fully.