Searches Conducted at Over 10 Locations Including Ministry of National Defense and Coast Guard... Allegations of 'Forced Defection to North Korea' to Cover Up Incident
Former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won is leaving his residence in Yeouido on the morning of the 16th. The prosecution, investigating allegations of deletion and manipulation of records related to the 'West Sea Public Official Shooting Incident,' conducted a search and seizure at the residences of former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won and former Minister of National Defense Seo Wook on the same day. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Kyung-jun] On the 16th, the prosecution investigating the case of the public official killed in the West Sea conducted searches and seizures at the residences of former Minister of National Defense Seo Wook, former National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Park Ji-won, and former National Security Office Chief Seo Hoon. This comes about a month after the NIS was searched on the 13th of last month.
The Public Investigation Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Lee Hee-dong) sent prosecutors and investigators to the homes and offices of the accused, including former Director Park, former Minister Seo, and former Chief Seo, to secure related evidence. The prosecution conducted searches at a total of about 10 locations, including the Ministry of National Defense, its subordinate units, and the Coast Guard.
Former Director Park is suspected of unauthorized deletion of intelligence-related reports concerning the circumstances when Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official Lee Dae-jun was killed by North Korean forces on September 22, 2000.
An internal report prepared by NIS staff, based on intelligence, indicated that Lee likely drifted rather than defected voluntarily to North Korea, and the NIS's own investigation found that former Director Park ordered the deletion of this report.
The prosecution is also verifying suspicions that Blue House and government officials attempted to cover up the incident by fabricating a narrative of voluntary defection ("Wolbuk moli").
Former Minister Seo was accused by the bereaved family of abuse of authority and damage to official electronic records for ordering the deletion of military secrets, including intercepted information.
The NIS and others reportedly deleted classified information within the Military Integrated Information Processing System (MIMS) of the NIS and Ministry of National Defense around two ministerial meetings held at 1 a.m. and 10 a.m. on September 23, 2020, the day after Lee's death.
Attendees at the meetings included former Minister Seo, former Chief of Staff Noh Young-min, former National Security Office Chief Seo, former Director Park, and former Minister of Unification Lee In-young.
On the 14th of last month, the prosecution summoned employees of the Defense Intelligence Headquarters responsible for managing MIMS as witnesses for investigation.
The prosecution is investigating whether former Minister Seo ordered the deletion of intelligence and whether he issued instructions through subordinates. They are examining whether former Minister Seo and others abused their positions to arbitrarily reverse the judgment on Lee's death to a case of voluntary defection. The core of this investigation is whether improper instructions were given to subordinates.
Lee's family has filed complaints against about ten individuals with the prosecution regarding the West Sea public official killing case. Key suspects include former National Security Office Chief Seo, former Minister Seo, former Senior Secretary to the President for Civil Affairs Kim Jong-ho, former Secretary for Civil Affairs Lee Kwang-cheol, former Secretary General of the National Security Council Seo Joo-seok, and former Director Park, who was also accused by the NIS.
In filing complaints against former Minister Seo and others, Lee's family argued that "it is necessary to investigate whether the intercepted information related to Lee Dae-jun's death uploaded to MIMS was deleted immediately after the NSC meeting and the circumstances of such deletion."
The prosecution is expected to review the establishment of criminal charges based on the operation method of MIMS, including witness investigations of those responsible for managing MIMS.
After analyzing the materials secured through the searches, the prosecution plans to summon and investigate former Minister Seo, former Director Park, and others in sequence.
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