"No Request for Repatriation from North Korea Received First"
Did Not Reveal Defection Until Arrival at East Coast After Capture
"Who Protects the Life and Safety of Our Citizens?"
Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong is attending the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 29th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] Jeong Eui-yong, former director of the Blue House National Security Office, stated on the 17th that regarding the 'Repatriation of North Korean Fishermen Incident' that occurred in 2019, "There was no fact that we received a request from North Korea to repatriate these heinous criminals (North Korean fishermen) first."
On the same day, Jeong issued a 'Statement on the Heinous Criminals Repatriation Incident' through Yoon Gun-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea and former director of the Blue House National Situation Room, saying, "However, since repatriation requires confirmation of the receiving country's willingness, we first inquired about North Korea's intention."
Jeong asserted, "Moreover, the claim by the People Power Party that these individuals were forcibly repatriated to invite North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un to the Korea-ASEAN Special Summit is utterly groundless," and added, "The North Korean defectors whom North Korea wishes to repatriate are likely those who defected or surrendered for political reasons rather than these shameless and brutal heinous criminals." This directly refutes the ruling party's claim that the Moon Jae-in administration forcibly repatriated defecting fishermen to improve relations with North Korea.
Jeong explained that the Moon Jae-in administration judged the sincerity of their intention to defect as lacking, considering the timing of their declaration. He said, "It was impossible to view this as a normal defection process," and "After consultations among related ministries, it was decided to repatriate them to North Korea according to our laws. This information was included in the Ministry of Unification's report to the National Assembly at the time, and the entire investigation records are preserved at the National Intelligence Service." He added, "If the Moon Jae-in administration is accused of distorting or fabricating the investigation, they should disclose all statements and investigation results."
Jeong described the repatriated North Korean fishermen as "not just murderers who killed one or two people, but notorious and bizarre murderers," detailing related specifics under the section titled 'Criminal Activities of Heinous Criminals,' and said, "They did not immediately come to South Korea after the crime. They had no intention of defecting to South Korea from the start."
He continued, "After the crime, they said, 'Even if we die, let's die in our homeland,' and conspired to escape to the deep mountains of Jagang Province in North Korea by selling squid caught by their comrades to raise escape funds. They actually returned to Kimchaek Port after the crime. However, during the process of raising escape funds, one accomplice was arrested by North Korean authorities," and explained, "The remaining two fled hastily back to the sea, repeatedly crossing the Northern Limit Line (NLL) near the maritime boundary, and were captured and escorted by our Navy special forces."
He emphasized, "This is what they confessed during the joint interrogation," and "Their statements precisely matched intelligence obtained by our military after another accomplice was arrested by North Korean authorities."
Jeong stated, "The joint interrogation involves multiple ministries and experts. No single ministry can manipulate the interrogation results, and experienced, professional, and competent experts participate," and asserted, "The investigation results by these experts cannot be overturned just because the administration changed." He also said, "These heinous criminals are neither defectors nor surrenders. They are individuals who committed heinous crimes and were caught while fleeing," adding, "When subdued, they appeared resigned and said, 'Even if we die, let's die smiling.' They did not express any intention to defect during the process of being brought to Donghae Port. During the joint interrogation, at the usual stage of confirming defection intention, they submitted a letter of intent to defect to our joint interrogation team."
Jeong also said, "Some argue that these individuals should have been accepted into our society as defectors or surrenders under our constitution," but "Our domestic law also stipulates that such serious non-political criminals are not allowed entry and must be deported. Under international law, serious non-political criminals are not considered refugees." He emphasized, "The National Assembly Intelligence Committee received a detailed closed briefing on their capture process, joint interrogation content, background, and legal grounds for deportation, and some opposition lawmakers at the time also evaluated the measures as appropriate." He criticized, "No matter how much one wants to deny the previous administration, overturning decisions made according to our laws by mobilizing all related ministries now is tantamount to dismantling the government system itself."
Jeong said, "Some argue that under the presumption of innocence principle, even these heinous criminals should be tried under domestic judicial procedures as our citizens, but their confessions alone make punishment practically impossible," and questioned, "There has never been a precedent where our courts exercised criminal jurisdiction over heinous crimes committed by North Korean residents against other North Korean residents in North Korean territory. Ultimately, if they are integrated into our society without any punishment, who will protect the lives and safety of our citizens?"
Regarding calls from the ruling party for a special prosecutor and national investigation into this incident, Jeong said, "As a public official at the time, I made the best decision to protect the people according to laws and procedures, so I have nothing to hide," and added, "Even though no new facts have been revealed, the current government should clarify in the special prosecutor investigation and national inquiry why and through what process the previous judgment was overturned."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
