GOV'T OFFICIAL SHOT DEAD BY N. KOREA

[Anchor Lead]

A South Korean government fisheries official, who went missing near the sea borderline near North Korea is believed to have been shot and killed in North Korean waters. Here are the details.

[Pkg]

On September 21st, a 47-year-old South Korean fisheries monitoring official was reported missing near Soyeonpyeong-do Island, located close to the Inter-Korean border in the West Sea. He disappeared from a 500-ton fisheries patrol ship belonging to the West Sea Fisheries Management Service at around 11:30 AM. Sailors on the vessel found his shoes at the stern and reported him missing to the Coast Guard at around 12:50 pm. He is believed to have gone missing on waters about two kilometers south of Soyeonpyeongdo Island, approximately 13 kilometers away from the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea. The 47-year-old could not be found despite extensive search efforts by the Navy, Coast Guard as well as the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. The South Korean military detected his whereabouts in North Korean waters one day after the incident. According to a government source, South Korean authorities believe the official was shot and killed by North Koreans. Authorities are analyzing various intelligence. It is presumed that North Koreans were following the regime's order to shoot and kill anyone approaching the border area to stop the spread of COVID-19. The South Korean military and the National Intelligence Service said the official is highly likely to have defected voluntarily, although the possibility of him being carried by the tide to North Korean waters cannot be ruled out. Authorities are still working to find out exactly what happened. If the military is found to have been negligent in detecting South Koreans crossing the border, they are expected to face stern criticisms over lax vigilance once again. Once the fisheries inspector's death is confirmed, South Korean authorities will have to talk to the North to find out what happened and arrange future actions. However, talks with the regime are expected to be difficult as inter-Korean communication channel has been blocked by the North for over three months now.