Coast Guard: "Shot Official Confirmed to Have Expressed Intent to Defect to North"
Large Distance Between Drift Prediction and Actual Location of Missing Person Found
Slippers Left on Stern Deck Confirmed to Belong to Missing Person
The fisheries guidance vessel on which the public official shot and killed in North Korea was aboard Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] An interim investigation result has emerged suggesting a high possibility that the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who went missing at sea near Soyeonpyeongdo in the northern West Sea and was shot dead by North Korea voluntarily defected to the North.
The Korea Coast Guard (KCG) reached this tentative conclusion through an interim investigation into the whereabouts of Lee Mo (47), a fisheries guidance officer aboard the Mugunghwa 10, affiliated with the West Sea Fisheries Guidance Management Unit, prior to his disappearance. At a briefing on the morning of the 29th, the KCG stated, "Considering that the missing person was found wearing a life jacket in North Korean waters and the circumstances indicating he expressed his intention to defect to the North, we judge that he defected."
The KCG concluded this after conducting an on-site investigation of the fisheries guidance vessel the missing person was aboard, analyzing onboard CCTV footage, investigating acquaintances and financial records related to the missing person, analyzing drift predictions related to his movements, and verifying facts through a visit to the Ministry of National Defense.
The KCG confirmed during a visit to the Ministry of National Defense on the 28th that when Lee was found in North Korean waters, he was exhausted, clinging to floating debris, wearing a life jacket, and that North Korea had detailed knowledge of personal information only the missing person would know, such as his name, age, hometown, and height. They also confirmed circumstances indicating Lee expressed his intention to defect to the North.
In particular, considering that he was wearing a life jacket, the KCG views the possibility of a simple accidental fall or an extreme choice as very low.
Additionally, according to analysis by the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency and others, considering tides and currents at the time of disappearance, simple drifting would have led southwest. This is quite far from where Lee was found, so the KCG explained that it is unlikely he drifted to the actual discovery location near Soyeonpyeongdo without deliberate effort.
Yoon Seonghyun, Director of the Investigation Information Bureau at the KCG, said, "Considering the information confirmed by the Ministry of National Defense and our own investigation, we currently judge that the missing person defected to the North." He added, "Furthermore, through the on-site investigation of the fisheries guidance vessel and testimonies from Lee’s colleagues, the slippers left on the stern deck were confirmed to belong to the missing person and are currently undergoing DNA analysis at the National Forensic Service."
The KCG plans to continue the investigation through ongoing CCTV analysis, additional investigations of internet portal records and acquaintances, and, if necessary, further cooperation with the Ministry of National Defense based on the facts confirmed so far.
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