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SEOUL, KMPAS.com – The South Korean government has stated that the figure who was shot dead and burned by the North Korean military is his office believed to be defecting.
According to a statement from Seoul, the man is said to have disappeared from a patrol boat near the border and was found in northern waters.
According to intelligence received by South Korea, the North Korean military shot the man and then doused him with gasoline before setting him on fire.
Also read: South Koreans shot and burned by the North Korean army
The news came after Pyongyang reportedly implemented a “shoot to death” order at the border to prevent the coronavirus from entering.
What did South Korea say?
Reported by the BBC on Thursday (09/24/2020), Seoul said the man who was shot and burned was a fisheries department official.
At the time of the incident, he was driving a patrol boat and was about 10 km from the border near Yeonpyeong on Monday (09/21/2020).
The victim, identified as 47, left his shoes on the ship, which is why it is believed that he was about to defect to North Korea.
The Defense Ministry explained that a northern patrol boat found the man on Tuesday around 3.30 p.m. local time (09/22/2020).
Also read: The president of South Korea wants to end the war with North Korea
They wore masks when questioning the man, before receiving orders from the “highest authorities” to shoot him.
The Navy then burned his body in the water, a move that was Pyongyang’s prevention of the corona virus.
How was the reaction?
The “Ginseng State” government stated that they “condemned the brutal action and urged the North to explain and punish the perpetrators.”
Also read: Kim Jong Un’s image damaged, North Korea conducts massive investigation
South Korea’s National Security Council said neighboring countries shouldn’t be able to just kill and burn civilians.
“This type of military action is a clear violation of international law,” said the secretary general of the national security council, Suh Choo-suk.
He stressed that the South Korean government would not hesitate to respond if North Korea threatens and harms its citizens.
Tuesday’s incident is the second that North Korean troops have shot dead South Korean civilians, the first in 2008 on Mount Kumgang.
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