Military: "Signs of Rescue Operation in Shootout with North Korean Official Detected"

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] It has been confirmed that North Korea attempted to rescue Mr. Lee, a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official, before opening fire on him.

A key official from the Ministry of National Defense stated on the 28th, "After North Korea initially discovered the missing person, we recognized signs that appeared to be a rescue operation for a considerable amount of time," adding, "However, the situation rapidly changed, which limited our response."

In response to criticism that no active measures were taken despite knowing that he survived for at least six hours before the shooting, some of the intelligence analysis was belatedly disclosed. However, specific time-based reporting details were not revealed.

Initially, military authorities stated that Mr. Lee was first discovered by a North Korean fisheries enterprise vessel around 3:30 p.m. on the 22nd, the day after his disappearance. The shooting was later estimated to have occurred around 9:40 p.m.

The official also explained, "The intelligence was recognized by a frontline operative collecting information," and "It took considerable time to verify the credibility of this intelligence, analyze the content, and report it up to the military leadership."

He continued, "The intelligence held by the military cannot be directly observed with the naked eye; it is a result of meticulous analysis of various intelligence," and added, "We do not possess materials as if we directly witnessed the events ourselves." Regarding North Korean military movements, he said, "There are no unusual developments," but also noted, "It appears that North Korea is conducting search activities as well."

Meanwhile, a key official from the Ministry of National Defense commented on the discrepancies between South and North Korea's announcements concerning the expression of intent to defect to the North and the mutilation of the body, stating, "We plan to objectively re-examine our information," and "We will review the related materials again from a third-party perspective."