"Deemed as Defection to North" vs "Expressed Intention to Defect" North Korea, Controversy over Defection of Shot Civil Servant

Bereaved Family: "My Brother Was a Patriot Who Devoted Himself to the Nation"
"He Expressed Intent to Defect to the North, So Why Would North Korea Kill Him?"
Coast Guard: "Low Possibility of Simple Slip or Extreme Choice"

Lee Rae-jin, the older brother of Mr. Lee, a government official who was shot dead in North Korea, shows a somber expression during a press conference with foreign reporters at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 29th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] The bereaved family of Mr. Lee (47), a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who died from gunfire by North Korean soldiers in North Korean waters, insisted that he could not have defected to the North and urged a thorough investigation through international cooperation. Previously, the government concluded that Mr. Lee had defected to North Korea.

On the 29th at 2 p.m., Mr. Lee’s family held a press conference for foreign media at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, criticizing, "The government believes the intercepted communications from the hostile North Korean side but hastily concludes that (Mr. Lee) defected, accusing him of a grave crime."

Attending the press conference as the family representative, Mr. Lee’s older brother, Lee Rae-jin, said, "My younger brother served as a national public official for eight years. He was a patriot who devoted himself to and served his country," and questioned, "Where is the future for a government that accuses such a brother of defecting to the North?"

Mr. Lee, affiliated with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, went missing on the 21st while on duty near the waters off Soyeonpyeongdo Island in the West Sea. The Ministry and the Coast Guard began searching for him after a missing person report was filed around 12:50 p.m. that day. However, they could not find him, and it was later determined that he died from gunfire by North Korean soldiers in North Korean waters at 9:40 p.m. on the 22nd. His body has not yet been recovered.

On the morning of the 29th, two days before the Chuseok holiday, the village around the North Korean Gaemeori Coast viewed from Daeyeonpyeongdo, Ongjin-gun, Incheon, is quiet.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding the government’s judgment that Mr. Lee defected, Lee Rae-jin said, "Since this incident, the government has not contacted us even once," and added, "Before the Coast Guard’s announcement, the most important things were on-site investigation and presenting various methods through simulations, but for some reason, they hastily imposed the defection frame again."

He continued, "My brother spoke with me until two days before his death, and there were no signs of defection," and said, "When I asked if the crackdown on illegal fishing in China was dangerous, he replied, ‘Brother, I will work as a public official for life and take pride in my duty.’"

He also said, "If he had intended to defect, why would North Korea have killed him? This means he did not defect," emphasizing, "There are many islands north of the NLL, and no matter how afraid of COVID-19, they would have taken him for interrogation."

Lee Rae-jin said, "I want to hear a detailed explanation from the authorities about Mr. Lee’s drifting trajectory and movements in the waters south of the Republic of Korea’s NLL," criticizing, "During the approximately 30 hours Mr. Lee was missing and drifting at sea, the government and military authorities made no effort to rescue him."

He added, "Even during the ‘golden time’ of six hours after he entered north of the NLL, our military did not use any means," and urged an investigation into why such an unjust incident occurred where he was captured and killed in waters only 0.2 miles (about 321 meters) from the North Korean side of the NLL, saying, "We must clarify the circumstances of Mr. Lee’s death."

Shin Dong-sam, Chief of the Incheon Coast Guard, is briefing on the "Soyeonpyeongdo Missing Government Official North Korean Shooting Incident" at the Incheon Coast Guard in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, on the afternoon of the 24th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, the Coast Guard concluded that Mr. Lee defected. At a briefing on the interim investigation results held at the Coast Guard headquarters in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, the Coast Guard stated, "The missing person was wearing a life jacket, the North side knew detailed personal information about the missing person, and there were signs that he expressed an intention to defect to the North, so the possibility of simple accidental drowning or extreme choice is low."

Yoon Sung-hyun, Director of the Investigation Information Bureau of the Coast Guard, said at the briefing, "Our investigation found that the deceased Mr. Lee had debts of about 330 million KRW, of which 268 million KRW were debts from online gambling." He added, "His family situation also appeared to be difficult, but we cannot judge defection solely based on these materials, and the conclusion was made after reviewing data provided by the Ministry of National Defense."

The Coast Guard also announced the results of an investigation into the fishing guidance vessel Mr. Lee was on and an analysis of currents at the time of his disappearance to predict drifting. The Coast Guard stated, "Based on the on-site investigation of the fishing guidance vessel and testimonies from colleagues, slippers left on the stern deck were confirmed to belong to the missing person, and genetic testing is underway."

Based on analyses from four domestic institutions including the National Oceanographic Research Institute, the Coast Guard said it is unlikely that the missing Mr. Lee drifted to the actual discovery location following the currents.

The Coast Guard claimed, "We conducted an experiment by dropping a 72 kg model into the sea, and the distance of 33 km can be covered in about 17 hours by swimming while wearing a life jacket."

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard stated that the search for Mr. Lee’s body and belongings will continue.