[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Three Changed Positions of the Ministry of National Defense... Trying to Align with Government Code?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The Ministry of National Defense has sparked controversy by expressing its intention to "reexamine the intelligence assessment" regarding the case of Mr. Lee, a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who was killed by gunfire from North Korean soldiers. The explanation announced by the Ministry of National Defense on the 24th has also led to accusations of backtracking, raising criticism that it is hastily trying to "align with the government code."

At a briefing on the 24th, the Ministry of National Defense stated, "North Korean soldiers poured oil on Mr. Lee, who was wearing a life jacket, approached the body, poured oil on it, and set it on fire." At that time, the Ministry had announced that Mr. Lee was first discovered by a North Korean fisheries office vessel around 3:30 p.m. on the 22nd. The gunfire was later estimated to have occurred around 9:40 p.m.

However, on the 28th, a key official from the Ministry of National Defense said regarding the differences between the South and North Korean announcements about whether Mr. Lee expressed an intention to defect and the mutilation of the body, "We plan to objectively review our intelligence again," adding, "We will reexamine the related materials from a third-party perspective."

Regarding Mr. Lee's request for rescue on the 24th, when reporters asked if he was pulled up exhausted, the Ministry replied, "No," implying that the North Korean soldiers did not rescue him but immediately opened fire. However, the explanation changed again. The key official stated, "We recognized circumstances that appeared to be a rescue process for a considerable time after the North first discovered the missing person. However, the situation later rapidly reversed, limiting the response."

This statement has brought the military's response issues back into the spotlight. The key official explained the criticism of inadequate response to Mr. Lee by saying, "What happened in North Korean waters is not something our military can immediately respond to or take action on." The Ministry of National Defense appeared to somewhat back away by taking the stance that "it was initially a problem that could not be responded to."

Inside and outside the military, there are criticisms that the "self-reexamination" of facts already announced by the military is problematic. Before the key official’s additional explanation, there is an unavoidable criticism that the Ministry of National Defense made a premature public announcement without proper review. Alternatively, it is pointed out that the Ministry cannot easily escape controversy over backtracking with a logic of adjusting to the government code after the public announcement.

In response, the Ministry of National Defense stated, "The suspicion of coordination between the Blue House and the Ministry of National Defense is not true," adding, "Military intelligence is fragmented, and it takes time to discuss and integrate this intelligence into a coherent picture."