Korean fisheries officer’s brother questions official story
SEOUL: The brother of the South Korean fisheries official killed by North Korean soldiers at sea last week rejected the Government’s claim yesterday that the man had expressed his willingness to defect.
The death of the official, who was identified only by his surname, Lee, sparked a dispute over why and how he was found floating in North Korean waters nearly 36 hours after he went missing.
Coast Guard chief of investigation and intelligence Yoon
Sunghyun said it had determined after an investigation that Lee told the North Korean troops he wished to defect and that they were aware of his detailed personal information that only he would know.
Yoon said the official had run up debt worth $NZ430,000.
Disputing the likelihood of that scenario, the man’s brother, Lee Raejin, said his death must have been an accident because he had been proud of his job, just got a new boat and left a government identification card that would have facilitated his defection.
He questioned the Government’s evidence, suggesting the
North could have manipulated audio recordings, because both militaries frequently eavesdropped on each other.
‘‘Most old men of our age are indebted and have family issues but who would go to the North because of that?’’ he said.
Lee accused the Government and the military of letting slip ‘‘golden opportunities’’ to save his brother by refusing his requests for more search ships and helicopters while his brother was still floating in the waters. — Reuters