Prosecutors Seek Arrest Warrant for Former National Security Advisor Seo Hoon in 'West Sea Shooting' Case

Seo Hoon, former Director of the National Security Office, is attending and speaking at the press conference on the 'West Sea Public Official Shooting Incident and the Deportation of Heinous Criminals' held at the National Assembly. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The prosecution investigating the 'West Sea Public Official Shooting Incident' has moved to secure the custody of Seo Hoon, former National Security Office Director and the top official in the Moon Jae-in administration's North Korea security line.

The Public Investigation Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Lee Hee-dong) filed an arrest warrant for former Director Seo on the 29th.

Former Director Seo was the highest-ranking figure in the Blue House's diplomatic and security line in September 2020, when Lee Dae-jun, a public official from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, was killed by North Korean soldiers. He is accused of abuse of authority, obstruction of the exercise of rights, and falsification and use of false official documents for hastily concluding Lee's death as a 'voluntary defection to the North' during a ministerial meeting held around 1 a.m. on September 23, 2020, the day after Lee's death, and ordering related ministries to delete confidential intelligence that contradicted this.

The prosecution summoned former Director Seo for questioning as a suspect on the 24th and 25th.