"Voluntary Defection to North Korea? Ridiculous... Military Trying to Cover Up Responsibility," Brother of North Korean-Killed Official Denounces 'Defection Theory'

"Neatly Take Off Slippers and Defect to North Korea?"
"Only Been on Board the Ship for 4 Days"

A government employee ID card of Mr. A (47), who went missing in the waters near Soyeonpyeongdo at the northern end of the West Sea and was shot dead by North Korean soldiers. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] The older brother of A (47), a public official belonging to the West Sea Fisheries Guidance and Management Unit under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, who went missing at sea near Soyeonpyeongdo in the West Sea, was shot dead by North Korean soldiers, and then burned, strongly opposed the government's suggestion of the possibility of defection to North Korea.

The older brother, B, appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 25th and responded to the Ministry of National Defense's claim of the possibility of defection by saying, "Saying that he defected because he had debts is really laughable," and added, "The military is currently emphasizing voluntary defection because my younger brother took off his shoes on the ship, wore a life jacket, and entered the water, and because he had debts of tens of millions of won, but this is absurd."

B explained, "At that time, my younger brother had only been on board the ship for four days. It was not enough time to understand the system or fully grasp the changes in the ship's situation," and added, "My brother is about 180 cm tall. The railing reaches about his thigh, so even a slight slip could cause him to fall."

He continued, "Since seawater always flows into the ship due to waves, it can get wet, so he might have taken off his slippers briefly while moving," and said, "The fact that the shoes were neatly placed does not prove that he took them off and jumped into the water," dismissing the possibility of defection.

He added, "That area has many reefs and significant depth variations, so the currents are quite strong," and said, "At the time of disappearance, around 2 to 3 a.m., the current was flowing from Yeonpyeongdo toward Ganghwado, so the military's explanation of defection has no basis. If you explain the situation to people living in Yeonpyeongdo and say he defected in this direction, they would laugh."

Regarding the claim that the deceased A was in financial difficulty, he said, "There are many rumors. Things like 'he gambled online,' 'family relationships are strange,' or 'he had debts' seem like nuances to cover something up," and added, "I know he had some debts. It's true that my brother was divorced. But I have never heard of the other things."

He continued, "My brother's personality is gentle and not abrasive. When I asked some captains, they said he was responsible, took initiative, and was sociable," and said, "He often posted photos with his children on Facebook and KakaoTalk. If he didn't love his children, he wouldn't do that."

B claimed that the military authorities emphasized voluntary defection to avoid responsibility for the failure of surveillance. He said, "My brother must have drifted after going missing. When he was holding onto floating objects and moving, why didn't the military observe him?" and added, "I want to know why our military did not issue any warning broadcasts or take any measures even after seeing my brother, in a semi-conscious state, being aimed at with a gun."

He continued, "North Korea must be strongly punished and should be condemned by the international community," and urged, "North Korea should publicly issue an official apology to our people and government and express regret related to preventing recurrence of this atrocity."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.