DISPUTE OVER OFFICIAL'S DEATH

[Anchor Lead]

The rival parties are still clashing over the killing of a South Korean public official in the West Sea. The PPP says it was a conspiracy, and the 2019 case of repatriating North Korean defectors also needs to be investigated. The DP struck back by saying the reports filed by the military to the National Defense Committee at the time of the incident should be disclosed to find the truth.

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The PPP is continuing its offensive on the opposition party. It says the Moon administration has caused distress to the bereaved family of the killed official, and added that every dubious death must be clarified.

[Soundbite] Kweon Seong-dong(Floor Leader, People Power Party) : "They justified the North's actions by saying the official wanted to defect to N. Korea, thus causing secondary damage to his bereaved family. If the DP was still in power, his bereaved family would spend even more time in suffering."

The ruling party is also urging an investigation into the repatriation of two North Korean crew members in 2019, calling it an anti-humanistic act. Calling the DP a "national security villain," the PPP blasted the opposition for downsizing ROK-U.S. joint military exercises under the previous administration and disseminating rumors about THAAD. The opposition DP pushed back. It says it has shunned disclosing information collected at the time for security reasons, and if the ruling party wants, the reports filed by the military to the parliament behind closed doors should be disclosed. The DP added if that is insufficient, special intelligence that was gathered at the time can also be disclosed with the help of U.S. authorities.

[Soundbite] Woo Sang-ho(DP Emergency Committee Chair) : "If the ruling party is okay with it, we will cooperate in disclosing the reports. They contain information about why the military concluded the official was trying to defect to the North. Let's disclose it."

Rep. Ha Tae-kyung, who is heading the PPP's task force investigating the Yellow Sea incident, called the DP's proposal constructive and offered to view wiretapped information together. The PPP convened the first meeting of its task force on Tuesday. The rift is intensifying over the disclosure of classified information. Even if related materials are disclosed, its analysis could spark yet another controversy.