South Korean Officials Killed By North Korea Are Said To Have Crossed The Border To Defect

Top Kortut Leader (Source: Antara)

JAKARTA - The South Korean (South Korean) authorities have delivered the latest news regarding the killing of South Korean Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries officials by North Korean (North Korean) soldiers. That said, the official wanted to defect to North Korea before his death.

The news was conveyed by the South Korean coast guard, Tuesday, September 29. Authorities received word that last week the South Korean official expressed a desire to defect to North Korea to soldiers on the border between the two countries. The statement of authority is controversial. The official's older brother denied government claims that the official was trying to flee to North Korea.

Even so, the authorities claim to have video evidence of surveillance cameras, military intelligence files, and background footage that reinforce the suspicion that the official was about to defect. According to the authorities, North Korean soldiers at the border also know the official's personal information.

"We can confirm that North Korea has pocketed personal information known only to him (the victim), including name, age, place of residence and height, and that the missing person (victim) has declared himself willing to go to the North," said Yoon. Sung-hyun, head of investigation and intelligence at the coast guard authority.

Yoon added that it was "very unlikely" that the victim would have lost his way or attempted suicide because he was wearing a life jacket and buoyancy when he was found about 38 kilometers from where he was reported missing. The official's older brother, Lee Rae-jin, said the victim's floating device pointing North was an accident. He even said that the victim actually had a new ship and there was no reason for him to defect.

Yoon said that the official had debts worth more than 58 million won (around Rp.738 million). However, it is not clear whether he is trying to escape the debt. South Korean coast guard and naval authorities have expanded the search for the bodies of victims to involve dozens of ships, after North Korea said their soldiers only burned victims' floating devices in an effort to avoid the corona virus outbreak.

Initially, South Korea alleged that Korean soldiers poured oil on the victim's body and set it on fire after first shooting him. The difference in claims made South Korea ask for a joint investigation.

Even so, until now the North Korean government has not commented on the joint investigation but the leader, Kim Jong Un, has apologized, a day after the news of the shooting.