REVERSED STANCE ON OFFICIAL'S DEATH

[Anchor Lead]

Two years ago, a fisheries ministry employee, who had gone missing near Yeonpyeongdo Island in the northern West Sea, was found to have been shot dead by North Korean soldiers. At the time, the Korea Coast Guard claimed in its mid-investigation report that the deceased was killed while trying to defect to North Korea. But the Korea Coast Guard released yesterday a final result that contradicts this report.

[Pkg]

In September 2020, a man only identified by surname Lee, belonging to the West Sea fisheries management service of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, went missing near Incheon’s Yeonpyeongdo Island. The South Korean military authorities announced that he had been shot dead by North Korean soldiers and his body presumably set on fire. A few days later, the Korea Coast Guard issued a mid-investigation report which suggested he must have been trying to defect to the North, given that an individual cannot cross over to North Korea without one’s intentional effort.

[Soundbite] Yoon Sung-hyun(Former Director, Korea Coast Guard(Sept. 2020)) : "The missing man is determined to have defected to N. Korea, given circumstances showing his intention to defect and the outcome of drifting projection."

Now a year and nine months later, the Coast Guard came out with its final investigation results. They looked into the case with all possibilities open, but couldn’t find proof that Mr. Lee was trying to defect to North Korea.

[Soundbite] Park Sang-chun(Captain, Incheon Coast Guard Office) : "We conducted a comprehensive investigation but couldn’t find evidence pointing to his intention to defect."

When asked why their findings had changed, the Coast Guard refused to give definite grounds, simply answering that it was the result of on-site investigations and international judicial assistance. South Korean military authorities which had also suggested the defection theory together with the Coast Guard also changed their stance and expressed their regret.

[Soundbite] Yun Hyeong-jin(Policy Planning Division, Ministry of Nat'l Defense) : "We confused the public by announcing that the man presumably attempted to defect to N. Korea. We couldn’t disclose everything for security reasons."

The deceased’s family was glad that the truth had been revealed, but still enraged that the dead man had been falsely accused up until this point.

[Soundbite] Lee Rae-jin(Brother of the deceased official) : "They confused the public by announcing assumptions and have been claiming that he was defecting even when they couldn’t prove it."

The government has been demanding North Korea to conduct a joint investigation for a clearer explanation, but North Korea hasn’t responded to the request for two years now.