West Sea Shooting Victim's Family: "Prosecution's Appeal Is Selective, Strategic, and Half-Hearted"

The attorney representing the family of the civil servant shot in the West Sea criticized the prosecution's decision to partially appeal, calling it a "selective, strategic, and half-hearted appeal."

Lee Raejin, the elder brother of the civil servant shot in the West Sea, is leaving after a press conference related to the criminal complaint against officials from the National Security Office and the Civil Affairs Office of the Moon Jae-in administration at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 22nd. Photo by Kang Jinhyung aymsdream@

On January 3, the attorney for Lee Raejin, the elder brother of the late Lee Daejun, stated in a press release, "(The prosecution) did not file an appeal regarding key charges such as abuse of authority and concealment of the incident, citing a lack of practical benefit."

The attorney further stated, "The reason the Criminal Procedure Act grants the right of appeal only to the prosecutor is because there is trust that, as a representative of the public interest, the prosecutor will judge the appropriateness of exercising the right to punishment," adding, "This appeal raises serious questions as to whether the prosecutor is truly fulfilling the role of a representative of the public interest."

The attorney emphasized, "The key issues in this case are whether the state fulfilled its duty to protect life during the process in which a civil servant was killed by North Korean soldiers, and whether there was any organized cover-up or abuse of authority during the subsequent investigation and information disclosure process," and pointed out, "This is a significant matter that goes beyond a simple defamation issue and determines the state's responsibility."

The attorney also asserted, "The prosecution has effectively abandoned its status as a representative of the public interest," stressing, "This is in direct contradiction to the expectations of the bereaved family, who have consistently demanded a thorough investigation."

The previous day, the prosecution filed an appeal only against some of the charges against former National Security Office Director Suh Hoon and former Korea Coast Guard Commissioner General Kim Honghee, who were acquitted in the first trial regarding the West Sea civil servant shooting incident. The charges to be reviewed in the second trial include the preparation and use of false official documents, defamation, and defamation of the deceased.

The prosecution decided not to appeal the acquittals of former National Intelligence Service Director Park Jie-won and former Defense Minister Suh Wook, thereby finalizing their not-guilty verdicts.