Colleagues Stated "No Possibility of Defection to North Korea"... Coast Guard Concealed Testimonies

Coast Guard Concealed Testimonies of Colleagues of North-Side Shot Dead Official and Claimed 'Defection'... Concealment on the 15th
Colleagues "Don't Even Know if the Slippers Belong to Lee"... Kim Hong-hee "Most Staff Testified They Belonged to Lee"

A government official Lee (47), who went missing in the waters near Soyeonpyeongdo in the northern West Sea, was shot and killed by North Korea [Photo by Yonhap News].

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, Intern Reporter Na Han-ah] It has been revealed that the crew members of the 'Mugunghwa 10' who worked with Mr. Lee (47), a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who was shot dead by North Korean soldiers, initially testified in the Coast Guard investigation that "there is absolutely no possibility of Mr. Lee defecting to the North, and it is physically impossible." However, the Coast Guard concealed the consistent testimonies of the colleagues stating "there is no possibility of defection" from the public for 15 days.

According to the 'Summary Report of Statements from 13 Crew Members of the Mugunghwa 10' obtained by Rep. Lee Yang-su of the People Power Party from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, there was no mention whatsoever of the possibility of Mr. Lee defecting to the North.

The Coast Guard investigated 13 out of 15 crew members of the 'Mugunghwa 10' on the 23rd and 24th of last month. Crew member A stated during the investigation, "The current was strong, and at that time, the tide was flowing eastward, so it was impossible to swim northward wearing a life jacket and floating debris." Crew member B also said, "There is no possibility of (Mr. Lee) defecting to the North."

Regarding the slippers found on the deck, which the government claims belonged to Mr. Lee, the crew members did not confirm ownership by Mr. Lee.

Navigator C, who was on duty with Mr. Lee on the day of his disappearance, testified about Mr. Lee’s clothing, saying, "He seemed to be wearing a blue top with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries logo, black pants, and sneakers." Regarding the slippers on the deck, he added, "I was not sure if the slippers belonged to Mr. Lee."

It was also reported that on the same day, the Coast Guard focused on questioning Mr. Lee’s personal circumstances such as debt, divorce, and liabilities.

Meanwhile, on the 24th of last month, the Coast Guard mentioned the possibility of the North Korean soldier-shot official’s 'voluntary defection,' and on the 29th, announced the same conclusion through an interim investigation result. Kim Hong-hee, Commissioner of the Korea Coast Guard, claimed about the slippers, "Most of the staff testified that they belonged to Mr. Lee," contradicting the investigation records and asserting the possibility of voluntary defection.

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