June 10, 2023
News

‘No evidence’ fisheries official killed by North Korea sought to defect: Seoul

Government expresses regret over military’s initial claim, drops appeal to block release of information on 2020 killing

South Korean authorities have found no evidence to support the claim that a fisheries official killed in North Korean waters two years ago was attempting to defect, the defense ministry said Thursday, rejecting the military’s initial assessment of the man’s motives.

The official acknowledgment came just hours after Seoul’s presidential office announced that the National Security Office (NSO) suspended a judicial appeal to block the disclosure of confidential information about North Korea’s killing of Lee Dae-jun.