Bereaved Family Submits Appeal Letter to Blue House Requesting Dismissal
Also Requests Disclosure of Reports and Instructions at the Time
Sajunmo Also Files Information Disclosure Request on President's Whereabouts on Day of Incident
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] The bereaved family of Lee Mo (47), a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who died after being shot by North Korean soldiers in the northern waters of Soyeonpyeongdo in the West Sea, has submitted a petition to the Blue House requesting the dismissal of the Commissioner of the Korea Coast Guard and the Minister of National Defense. The family also requested disclosure of information regarding reports and instructions received by the Blue House following the incident.
Lee Rae-jin (55), the older brother of the shot official, held a press conference on the afternoon of the 28th at the fountain square in front of the Sarangchae at the Blue House and revealed the petition. Through the petition, he demanded the dismissal of Kim Hong-ui, Commissioner of the Korea Coast Guard; Seo Wook, Minister of National Defense; and Yoon Seong-hyun, Director of the Investigation and Intelligence Bureau of the Korea Coast Guard.
Lee emphasized, "More than a month has passed since the incident occurred, but the Coast Guard has neither properly investigated the basic data at the time of disappearance nor found my brother."
He added, "We even filed an information disclosure request with the Ministry of National Defense claiming my brother confessed to defecting to the North, but they say there is no such confession," and insisted, "Minister Seo, who repeatedly changes his statements and breaks the hearts of the bereaved family, should be dismissed."
The bereaved family submitted the petition along with a request for information disclosure to the Blue House. The scope of the information requested includes documents related to reports from the Ministry of National Defense, the Korea Coast Guard, and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, as well as instructions from the Blue House since the incident occurred on the 22nd of last month. The family also requested disclosure of whether these agencies had ever reported that communication lines with North Korea were blocked. Lee explained, "This is to determine whether the Blue House took protective measures before the death of a South Korean citizen," and added, "We need to verify whether the Ministry of National Defense concealed the fact that communication with North Korea was possible and reported this to the Blue House."
Meanwhile, on the same day, the Judicial Examination Preparation Group (Sajunmo) also filed an information disclosure request with the Presidential Secretariat, demanding that the whereabouts of President Moon Jae-in be disclosed until the first face-to-face report was made to him by the Ministry of National Defense and others on the day the official went missing.
Sajunmo stated, "Regardless of whether he defected to the North, the shot official is a citizen of the Republic of Korea and deserves the state's duty of protection, and the president should be held responsible for this," adding, "We request information disclosure based on the public interest of the people's right to know."
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