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The political clash over the repatriation of two North Korean fishermen in 2019 is intensifying.

When the presidential office vowed to thoroughly investigate the crime against humanity, the ruling Democratic Party at the time countered that it was not a defection, but that our military had captured the criminal.



Reporter Hwa Kang-yoon reports.



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Through an official briefing, the presidential office announced that it would define the 'repatriation of North Korean fishermen to North Korea' as an act of crime against humanity and reveal the truth in detail.



[Kang In-sun/Presidential Office Spokesperson: If you are forced to repatriate to North Korea even though you have expressed your intention to defect, it is an act of crime against humanity and humanity.]



Yesterday (12th), citing a photo released by the Ministry of Unification, "The figure struggling not to be dragged out It is different from the explanation that there was no intention to defect.”



The ruling party's floor leader also joined the criticism.



[Kwon Seong-dong/People's Power Floor Leader: It is a serious human rights violation to forcibly repatriate to North Korea after listening to North Korea without properly investigating (criminal behavior) in Korea.]



In the Democratic Party, officials from the Moon Jae-in government immediately held a press conference I accepted it as a political offensive in which I took hostage.



In particular, he emphasized that the North Korean fishermen were caught escaping in disobedience to our military control.



[Hwanghee / Democratic Party member: There is an aspect that they misunderstand that they defected to South Korea, but our military captured them.]



He pointed out that there was a possibility that the South Korean and American intelligence authorities could have been acquitted if they had been brought before our court, he said, saying that they secured a statement acknowledging the killing of 16 crew members along with the information obtained through wiretapping, but all physical evidence was destroyed.



[Yoon Geon-young / Democratic Party Member: Will you protect the bizarre killers with the taxes paid by the Korean people?

It is a question of whether to give them a house, send them to college, and allow the Republic of Korea to prosper.]



Against this, a North Korean defector's group demanded a thorough investigation and punishment of those responsible in front of the National Assembly, saying, "Repatriating the people to the enemy country itself is a violation of the Constitution."



(Video coverage: Kim Nam-seong, video editing: Won-hee Won)



▶ Issues such as the authenticity of defection and application of related laws