Bereaved Family of West Sea Shooting Official Files Complaint Against Seo Hoon and Others

To Identify Fabrication of Defection Orders
Legal Circles "Will Form a Separate Investigation Team"

Lee Rae-jin, the elder brother of the public official shot in the West Sea, is holding a press conference on the 22nd at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, regarding the criminal complaint against officials from the National Security Office and the Civil Affairs Office of the Moon Jae-in administration. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] On the morning of the 22nd, the bereaved family of Mr. Lee, a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who was killed by gunfire from North Korean soldiers in the West Sea, filed a criminal complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office against former National Security Office Director Seo Hoon, former Blue House Civil Affairs Secretary Kim Jong-ho, and former Civil Affairs Secretary Lee Kwang-cheol. The charges include obstruction of official duties, abuse of authority, and falsification of official documents.

The bereaved family explained the reason for filing the complaint against former Director Seo, stating, "There were instructions related to defection to the North issued by the Blue House National Security Office to national institutions such as the Ministry of National Defense and the Coast Guard, and we wanted to determine whether the defection was fabricated." Regarding former Secretary Kim and former Secretary Lee, they said, "It appears that the defection was fabricated due to instructions from the Blue House Civil Affairs Office to the Coast Guard, so we decided to file complaints against those involved in the Civil Affairs Office at that time."

Regarding why they did not file the complaint with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), despite the accused being high-ranking officials, they said, "If the CIO chief, who was appointed during the Moon Jae-in administration, investigates a case filed against people appointed by the Moon administration, it would cause secondary harm to the bereaved family," adding, "Considering the investigative capabilities the CIO has shown so far, it seemed unlikely that the truth of the case would be revealed." However, the bereaved family decided not to file a complaint against President Moon Jae-in on this day and to observe the situation further. They plan to decide whether to file a complaint against President Moon after reviewing the response to their request for disclosure of Blue House materials related to Mr. Lee's death, which they expect to receive from the Presidential Archives the following day.

The prosecution, having received the complaint from the bereaved family, is expected to decide as early as today whether to investigate the case directly. In the legal community, there is speculation that the prosecution may form a special investigation team for this case. Since multiple institutions such as the Blue House, the Coast Guard, and the Ministry of National Defense are involved in the incident, a large number of investigative personnel seem necessary. According to the organizational reform plan passed at the Cabinet meeting the previous day, the prosecution can establish temporary investigative organizations such as special investigation teams without the approval of the Minister of Justice. The prosecution is also expected to receive additional complaints related to this case beyond those from the bereaved family. Currently, the Board of Audit and Inspection, which is investigating how the Coast Guard and the Ministry of National Defense initially reported the incident, may request an investigation from the prosecution. The People Power Party, which has formed a task force (TF) to uncover the truth of the incident, is also likely to file a complaint with the prosecution against former President Moon and others on charges of abuse of authority.