Irae-jin: "Hwang Hee Coaxed and Threatened to Admit Voluntary Defection to North Korea" [Interview]

Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Official's Bereaved Family Claims
"They Say Compensation Will Be Provided If Acknowledged"
Rep. Hwang Says No Related Response Yet

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] Lee Rae-jin, the older brother of the late Lee Dae-jin, a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who was killed by North Korean soldiers in the West Sea, claimed in an interview with Asia Economy on the 29th that "after the incident, I met with Hwang Hee, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, three times and was persuaded and threatened to admit that my brother defected to North Korea because we are on the same side." Lee Rae-jin had previously stated on his Facebook, "Two years ago, the Democratic Party formed a task force (TF) and said since I am from Honam, we are on the same side," and "If I admit the defection, they said they would create a fund to compensate me," specifically identifying the person involved. At the time, Representative Hwang was the ruling party's secretary of the National Defense Committee and chaired the special committee for joint investigation and prevention of recurrence within the party. The family of Lee Dae-jin has filed complaints against former Blue House National Security Office Chief Seo Hoon, former Blue House Civil Affairs Secretary Kim Jong-ho, and former Civil Affairs Secretary Lee Kwang-cheol, accusing them of fabricating the circumstances of Lee Dae-jin’s death as a defection. There is growing speculation that the front may expand from the Blue House to the Democratic Party.

Lee Rae-jin, the elder brother of the fisheries official killed by North Korean forces, is interviewed by the press on the 28th at the Seoul Global Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, before meeting with Thomas Ojea Quintana, the UN Special Rapporteur on North Korean Human Rights. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

On the same day, Lee Rae-jin met with a reporter in Seocho-dong, Seoul, and said, "After the press conference for foreign journalists (on September 29, 2020), I was asked to meet, and when I met them, they mentioned that my hometown is Honam and told me to admit the defection," he said.

Representative Hwang publicly expressed the opinion on the afternoon of September 28, 2020, a day before Lee Rae-jin’s press conference, at the National Assembly that "the defection of the official has been confirmed as a fact." It is known that before the press conference, Representative Hwang received intelligence reports from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the National Intelligence Service, and the Coast Guard. Representative Hwang later served as the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism from February last year to May this year.

Despite Representative Hwang’s persuasion at the time, Lee Rae-jin said, "I told him I don’t need money but want to restore my brother’s honor and clear his name from the defection accusation." Lee Rae-jin also said that if he did not admit his brother’s defection, Representative Hwang mentioned that "we will just blame everything on the defection."

Lee Rae-jin is explaining the presumed circumstances surrounding the murder. (Photo by Lee Hyun-joo)

He said, "Admitting defection means becoming a spy, doesn’t it?" and "My brother’s case is not a defection but a spy fabrication incident." He added, "A national official was alive, but they did not rescue him and killed him," emphasizing, "Should only North Korea bear responsibility, or should South Korea also bear it?"

Lee Rae-jin said he wants to hold former President Moon Jae-in accountable as the supreme commander of the armed forces. He said, "If the president really did not know, wouldn’t that be dereliction of duty or aiding and abetting murder?" and "I am also fighting risking my own life."

Attempts to contact Representative Hwang for his position regarding Lee Rae-jin’s claims were made, but no response was received.