Shin Dong-geun counters Park Geun-hye administration's 'civilian shooting' controversy: "The military shot the defector" scandal

Regarding the Missing Official: "Voluntary Defector Who Crossed into North Korea"

Shin Dong-geun, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] Shin Dong-geun, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, claimed that the case of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official Lee Mo (47), who went missing near Yeonpyeongdo and was shot and killed by North Korean soldiers, is a "serious anti-state crime of defection to North Korea" and stated, "If it continues, they may be shot."

On the 29th, Shin wrote on his Facebook, "During the Park Geun-hye administration in September 2013, there was a case where a civilian in his 40s was shot dead by our military while attempting to defect to North Korea," he said.

He added, "It is widely known international common sense that there is no way to respond once the border is crossed beyond our sovereignty," and criticized, "Claims that a patrol ship should have been dispatched or fighter jets should have been deployed are the height of irresponsibility."

Regarding the missing official Lee, he said, "He is a voluntary defector who crossed over to the North," and added, "The claim that we should have risked armed conflict, even war, to capture him is reckless."

He also pointed out, "It is shocking that such remarks came from the conservative opposition party, which claims to prioritize security," and said, "They are not prioritizing security but rather abandoning it."

Meanwhile, on the same day, the Korea Coast Guard announced interim investigation results concluding that Lee was judged to have defected to North Korea, based on a comprehensive review including on-site investigation of the fishing guidance vessel Lee was on at the time of the incident, analysis of onboard closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, interviews with people around the missing person, and fact-checking through a visit to the Ministry of National Defense.

At a briefing held at the Coast Guard headquarters in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, the Coast Guard explained, "When the missing person was found in North Korean waters, he was exhausted, relying on floating objects and wearing a life jacket; North Korea had detailed personal information such as his name, age, and hometown that only the missing person would know; and circumstances indicating his intention to defect to North Korea were confirmed."