[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] The prosecution is reportedly leaning toward the conclusion that the late Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official Lee Dae-jun slipped and fell into the sea during the incident, drifting northward.
According to the legal community on the 4th, during the pre-trial detention hearing of former National Security Office chief Suh Hoon on the 2nd, considerable time was spent explaining the maritime conditions at the time of the incident based on the on-site inspection conducted in September this year.
Earlier, to verify the circumstances when Lee went missing, the prosecution conducted an on-site investigation at sea by boarding the Mugunghwa 5, a vessel of the same class as the Mugunghwa 10, which Lee had been on.
The time Lee fell into the sea is estimated to be around 1:51 a.m. on September 21, early autumn. The prosecution, after investigating the location where the incident occurred during a similar season and time, inferred that the sea was very dark and the currents were strong at that time.
Based on these findings, the prosecution is said to have argued to the court that Lee likely slipped and fell into the sea, was swept away by strong currents, and drifted without being able to call for rescue. The prosecution views the government's announcement that "Lee is presumed to have defected to the North voluntarily" as a judgment far removed from the factual truth of the case, and close to distortion and fabrication carried out for political purposes considering inter-Korean relations.
The defense reportedly countered by pointing out that Lee was a good swimmer, a rope ladder was lowered beside the ship at the time, and colleagues on duty at the same time did not hear any calls for rescue, arguing that the possibility of slipping was low. They also emphasized that the government's investigation results were the best judgment made after discussions among experts in various fields under conditions of limited information and time, and that there was no intentional minimization or distortion of the incident.
The defense also reportedly rebutted claims by stating that not all documents produced by the Blue House are transferred to the archives, and that there was no intentional deletion or omission of specific documents.
Former chief Suh is scheduled to appear before the prosecution on the 5th for his first interrogation after detention. Suh’s side stated, "The defense believes that investigation and trial without detention are necessary to guarantee the right to defense."
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