Hataekyung "Pressure to Suppress Investigation Announcement on Defection to North Korea Must Be Revealed"... Coast Guard Headquarters Protest Visit

Ha Tae-kyung, head of the People Power Party's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Civil Servant Shooting Incident Fact-Finding Task Force, visited the Korea Coast Guard in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon on the 22nd and greeted Commissioner Jeong Bong-hoon. Ha visited the Korea Coast Guard to conduct an on-site inspection to uncover the truth behind the West Sea civil servant incident, in which a civil servant was shot by North Korean soldiers in 2020. Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] The People Power Party's "Task Force (TF) for the Truth Investigation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Official Shooting Incident" stated on the 22nd, "The (defection announcement) was not the result of the Coast Guard's voluntary investigation, but suspicions that it was due to external pressure must be resolved."

TF Chairman Ha Tae-kyung visited the Incheon Yeonsu-gu Coast Guard Headquarters with four committee members that morning and said, "this incident applied the presumption of defection principle rather than the presumption of innocence," strongly criticizing the Coast Guard and emphasizing that "the suspicion of external intervention in the (defection announcement) must be clarified."

Chairman Ha confirmed that "there are voices of self-reflection within the Coast Guard regarding problems in the (2020) interim investigation results," adding, "If the Coast Guard takes the lead in revealing the (truth) themselves, it could be a turning point for change and reform."

Additionally, TF member Ahn Byung-gil criticized, "Although the Coast Guard recently concluded the investigation and expressed condolences to the bereaved families, they did not properly apologize," and said, "The Coast Guard should explain in detail the background of the change in judgment and apologize to the public and the bereaved families even now."

In response, Coast Guard Commissioner Jeong Bong-hoon said, "I offer my condolences to the bereaved families who have suffered for a long time," and added, "Since there is great public interest in the investigation results, I will sincerely respond to the committee members' inquiries."

The Coast Guard has sparked controversy by first announcing under the Moon Jae-in administration that the shot official defected to North Korea, but about a month after the Yoon Suk-yeol administration took office, released completely opposite investigation results stating there is no evidence to conclude defection.

In September 2020, the Coast Guard announced interim investigation results a week after Lee Dae-jun (47 years old at the time of death), an official from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, was shot dead by North Korean soldiers in the West Sea, judging that he had defected.

The main evidence included intelligence from military authorities intercepting North Korean communication signals and maritime drift prediction results analyzed by specialized agencies. They also disclosed that Lee frequently gambled and had debts before his death, citing these as grounds for the defection judgment.

However, on the 16th, 1 year and 9 months later, the Incheon Coast Guard held a press briefing and reversed the investigation results, stating, "We could not find the circumstances of Lee's movement to North Korean waters or his intention to defect."