The South Korean government on Friday defended the legality of its decision this week to repatriate two North Korean sailors accused of murdering their crewmates, with the Ministry of Unification (MOU) insisting that their intent to defect was not sincere.

Seoul expelled the two escapees on Thursday afternoon via the inter-Korean border at Panmunjom, with the men — both in their twenties — having been discovered to have fled the North after murdering 16 of their crewmates on a squid fishing boat.

The MOU deputy spokesperson on Friday defended the move, despite the fact that the two men had “clearly expressed