Family of North Korea-shot official delivers son's original letter to Blue House... "Waiting for President Moon's reply"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] Lee Rae-jin (55), the elder brother of Lee Mo (47), a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who died after being shot by North Korean soldiers in the northern waters of Soyeonpyeongdo in the West Sea, delivered the original letter written by his nephew to President Moon Jae-in to the Blue House.

On the 8th at around 3:20 p.m., Lee handed over the original letter to Go Yong-ho, an administrative officer of the Blue House's Office of Civil Society, at the fountain square in front of the Sarangchae of the Blue House. He also delivered a letter written by the deceased Lee’s father-in-law. However, the father-in-law’s letter was handed over to the Blue House without being disclosed to the media.

While delivering the letter, Lee said, "I hope the president receives the nephew’s heartfelt letter well," and added, "I would appreciate it if a sincere response is given." Administrative officer Go replied, "Once again, I send my condolences to the family and will make sure to convey the letter you sent to the president properly."

On the 5th, Lee had previously revealed a letter from his nephew, Lee, which contained questions such as, "Why did Dad go all the way there, and what efforts did the state make at that time to save Dad’s life? Why was Dad not rescued?"

In the letter, Lee’s nephew wrote, "I want to ask if you really think it makes sense that Dad, who never professionally learned swimming and has a slim build, swam 38 km against the current," and added, "(Dad) was so proud of his job that he even came to my school to introduce his profession," refuting claims that he defected to the North.

President Moon, who was briefed on the nephew’s letter, said, "I understand the heart of a son who lost his father. It pains me as well," according to Blue House spokesperson Kang Min-seok. Kang also explained, "Besides the message, there are plans to write a reply to the son." A Blue House official said, "When the letter arrives, we plan to send a reply to the address provided. The contents of the letter will not be disclosed to the media."

After delivering the letter, Lee told reporters, "This morning, I received a list of my brother’s belongings and learned that there were no safety shoes, indicating he went missing during the mission. I also heard that during the National Assembly audit, the head of the Coast Guard specified the missing time from the initial 2 a.m. to 3 a.m.," adding, "This matches the time I estimated, making the disappearance more certain."

Regarding suspicions raised by some that a specific media outlet commissioned the nephew’s letter, Lee said, "Some people say that the uncle made the nephew write the letter, but the nephew bravely and calmly wrote the letter to the president with his own thoughts," emphasizing, "I only told him to write as if he was writing to his father. I did not advise him or have any particular media forces commission it." He also indicated that he might take legal action against such slanders in the future.

Lee plans to hold a press conference involving domestic and foreign media after the 14th of this month, in consultation with lawyers and after legal review. He said, "The content will be decided through legal examination."

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