The killing of a South Korean fisheries official at the hands of North Korean naval officers in Sept. 2020 has flared into a major political scandal in recent days, as questions swirl around the previous Moon Jae-in administration’s handling of the incident. 

The military initially said the shooting of Lee Dae-jun was the result of a botched defection, but South Korea’s defense ministry rejected that assessment earlier this month, saying there was no evidence to support the claim.