Defense Minister Seo-wook said that on the first day of the disappearance of an official of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, who was killed by North Korean troops today (7th), he received a report that there is no possibility of North Korea.
Amid fierce opposition to the announcement by the Maritime Police Agency and the military that the bereaved family attempted to escape North Korea, controversy is expected to intensify over how the authorities changed their judgment from'simple disappearance' to'voluntary defector' in one day.
Minister Seo pointed out, "Why did you not promptly request cooperation from the North on the 21st of last month when the report on the disappearance of a public official was received by the Coast Guard?" I couldn't judge that I was going."
He said, "I received a report at the first time and asked the working-level staff,'Is there a possibility to go to the North?'
Minister Seo replied, "I learned that I was on the North side through intelligence later (the day after my disappearance, on the 22nd)."
Earlier, on the 24th of last month, three days after the disappearance of a public official, the Ministry of Defense announced that North Korea fired and burned the body of a public official, saying, "It is judged to have attempted voluntarily to North Korea."
On the first day of the disappearance, the military authorities, who judged it as'simple disappearance', changed their judgment to a'North Korean attempter' and made an announcement to the media.
While the military authorities have not disclosed the information of intelligence, which is the decisive basis for changing their judgment, for security reasons, controversy over the judgment and announcement of'Wolbuk' is expected to continue.
Meanwhile, the day before, Mr. Lee Rae-jin requested the Ministry of National Defense to disclose information for a recorded file of intercepting the North Korean military dialogue and a recording of a scene that damaged the body of a public official.
(Photo = Yonhap News)