South Korean official shot dead by North Korean troops



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According to Lt. Gen. Ahn Young-ho, a senior official in the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, a staff member from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries disappeared in waters 1.9 kilometers (1.2 miles) south of the Yeonpyeong Islands on September 21. .

The islands lie near the maritime border between North and South Korea, and at some point, the official crossed into North Korean waters, after which, according to South Korean intelligence, Korean forces The North opened fire and killed the South Korean. His body was later burned, Ahn said.

In a statement, the South Korean military said it “strongly condemns the atrocities in the North” and urged Pyongyang to explain and punish those responsible.

“In addition, we strongly warn that North Korea is responsible for the atrocities committed against our citizen,” the statement added.

Tensions have risen between North and South Korea since communication between the two sides was cut off in June, when Pyongyang first shut down and then blew up a joint liaison office in Kaesong, a city on the north side of border.

The deterioration in relations came after a years-long rapprochement led by South Korean President Moon Jae-in resulted in historic meetings between him and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as well as summits between Kim and US President Donald Trump.

But those meetings ultimately did not yield meaningful results for all parties, and North Korea has taken an increasingly strident tone toward its southern neighbor, a change in stance that came when Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, assumed a more influential position in the country. North Korean regime.
A South Korean civilian was killed by the North in 2008, when a soldier shot a South Korean tourist in the bush. Kumgang ski resort. In 2010, 46 South Korean sailors and two South Korean marines and two civilians were also killed by North Korea in separate incidents.
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