Prosecutors Reinforce Investigation Team for West Sea Official Killing and North Korean Repatriation of Defector Fishermen

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Three additional prosecutors will join the investigation team at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, which is investigating the 'West Sea Public Official Killing Incident' and the 'Forced Repatriation of North Korean Fishermen Incident.'

According to the legal community on the 12th, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office has decided to dispatch two prosecutors from other offices to the Public Investigation Division 1 (Chief Prosecutor Lee Hee-dong) of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. The Public Investigation Division 1 is investigating the circumstances under which the Moon Jae-in administration announced that Lee Dae-jun, a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who was killed by North Korean soldiers in the West Sea in September 2020, had defected to the North.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office also decided to dispatch one prosecutor to the Public Investigation Division 3 (Chief Prosecutor Lee Jun-beom). The Public Investigation Division 3 is investigating whether there were inappropriate orders from former National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon and others during the forced repatriation of two North Korean sailors who killed 16 colleagues in November 2019 and defected.

With this dispatch, the number of personnel in Public Investigation Divisions 1 and 3 has increased to nine and seven, respectively. It is reported that among the dispatched prosecutors, there are those with experience in special investigations.

Meanwhile, the Central District Prosecutors' Office stated that since the regular personnel reshuffle last month significantly reduced the number of staff within the office, they may request additional personnel for other departments as well. Prosecutors' offices handling major cases, such as Seoul Southern, Eastern, and Suwon District Prosecutors' Offices, are also experiencing manpower shortages, so it is reported that personnel reallocation in the form of dispatches may take place.