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South Korean officials are calling for more investigations by North Korea into the murder of a Seoul government official who was shot after being found adrift near the disputed maritime boundary of rivals while apparently attempting to defect.
Seoul could also request a joint investigation into Tuesday’s shooting by North Korean troops, which sparked outrage in the South and prompted a rare apology from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Kim was quoted as saying he was “very sorry” for what he described as an “unexpected and unfortunate incident” in a message sent by Pyongyang’s United Front Department, a North Korean government agency in charge of inter-Korean relations.
However, the North Korean message, which was announced by South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s office on Friday, largely passed the blame for the shooting to the South Korean official, claiming that he had refused to answer questions and tried to flee earlier. . North Korean troops shot him.
South Korean officials concluded that more investigations are needed because North Korea’s account of the incident differs from what South Korean intelligence collected, Moon’s office said.
“We have decided to request the North to carry out an additional investigation and also request a joint investigation with the North if necessary,” the Blue House said in a statement.
He said South Korea will also “swiftly take steps to further strengthen the surveillance posture” in the waters off the country’s west coast to prevent similar incidents.
The South Korean coast guard is deploying dozens of boats and hundreds of officers to search the official’s body in the waters near the western border of the sea.
North Korean state media has yet to report on the incident or Kim’s apology.
South Korean officials previously accused North Korea of shooting the man, who was likely trying to defect, and burning his body after finding him on a floating object in North Korean waters.
South Korean officials condemned what they called an “heinous act” and pressured North Korea to punish those responsible.
But North Korea said troops first fired blank bullets after the man declined to answer questions other than saying he was from South Korea a couple of times.
Then, while moving to flee, North Korean troops fired 10 rounds.
When they approached the floating object, they claimed to have found a lot of blood, but no trace of the man’s body.
Troops determined he was dead and burned the floating object in accordance with anti-coronavirus rules.
North Korea has previously expressed “regrets” when it wants to reduce tensions sparked by incidents involving South Korean casualties, such as the 2015 frontline mine explosions that maimed two South Korean soldiers and the shooting death of a South Korean tourist in 2008 in North Korea. .
However, it is rare for a North Korean leader to do so. – PA
