[Summary] Opposition Party Criticizes "Dry and Formal" Reply from Son of Officer Shot in Moon Incident

"Not a Step Forward from Saying 'Let's Wait for Investigation Results'"
Bereaved Family: "All Details Repeatedly Stated on Broadcast"
Coast Guard's Preliminary Investigation Last Month Tentatively Concludes Official 'Voluntarily Went North'

Mr. Lee Rae-jin (left), the older brother of government official A who was shot and killed in North Korea, is delivering the original handwritten letter from A's son to President Moon Jae-in to an administrative officer of the Office of Civil Society Secretary at the Blue House Fountain Plaza in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 8th. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] The opposition party criticized President Moon Jae-in's response to the letter from the son of the public official who was shot dead by North Korean soldiers, calling it "a situation where not a single step has been taken." The bereaved family opposed it, saying the letter was typed on a computer rather than handwritten.

Kim Yeryeong, spokesperson for the People Power Party, said in a verbal comment on the 13th, "How much pain must it be for the bereaved family to just wait for the Coast Guard's investigation results," adding, "The bereaved family seems to have no strength left due to despair."

She continued, "The typed letter was nothing more than a dry, formal gesture without a handwritten signature," and criticized, "While whispering a declaration of the end of the war to North Korea with sincerity and goodwill, the president only repeats hope torture to our people, increasing the sense of self-disgust among the bereaved family and the public."

Lee Raejin, the deceased Mr. Lee's older brother, stated, "Around 12:30 p.m., I received a reply sent by President Moon via registered mail from the post office."

According to Lee Raejin, the letter was about one A4 page in length and was typed on a computer rather than handwritten. He explained, "The main points were twofold: words of consolation and a suggestion to wait for the Coast Guard's investigation results," adding, "These are contents that have been repeatedly disclosed on broadcasts, and there were no additional measures or remarks."

He added, "It is hard to think that this is a reply to a letter written by a high school son in a desperate heart," expressing, "Disappointment and a sense of emptiness come first." Lee Raejin plans to hold a press conference in front of the Korea Coast Guard headquarters at 1 p.m. on the 14th to reveal detailed contents of President Moon's letter.

A, the son of a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who went missing near Yeonpyeong Island and was shot and killed by North Korean soldiers, wrote a handwritten letter to President Moon Jae-in. / Photo by Yonhap News

President Moon's letter is a reply to a letter handwritten by Mr. Lee's son, A.

In the letter released on the 5th, A said, "What was this country doing when my father was cruelly killed?" and "Who has the right to ruin the head of a family overnight like this?"

A also raised doubts about the Korea Coast Guard's interim investigation result that Mr. Lee voluntarily defected to the North. He said, "(My father) never learned swimming professionally," and asked, "Do you really think it makes sense that he swam 39 km, against the current?"

He added, "(My father) was a public official of the Republic of Korea and a Korean citizen who deserved protection," and asked, "What efforts did the country make to save my father's life, and why couldn't you save him?"

President Moon expressed condolences on the 6th regarding the letter, saying, "I also feel heartbroken."

Kang Minseok, spokesperson for the Blue House, revealed that after President Moon was briefed on the letter's contents during a staff meeting he presided over that morning, he said, "I understand the heart of a son who lost his father. It pains me."

He also conveyed that President Moon said, "The Coast Guard is investigating various situations. Let's wait for the Coast Guard's investigation and search results," and "I hope you endure the hardship with your mother and siblings."

Yoon Seong-hyun, Director of the Investigation Information Bureau of the Korea Coast Guard, is announcing the interim results of the investigation into the 'Soyeonpyeongdo Missing Public Official North Korea Shooting Incident' on the morning of the 29th at the Korea Coast Guard in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon. / Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard announced on the 29th of last month an interim investigation result indicating a high possibility that Mr. Lee voluntarily defected to the North. In a briefing that morning, the Coast Guard said, "When the missing person was found in the northern waters, he was wearing a life jacket and there were signs that he expressed an intention to defect to the North," adding, "Considering the information confirmed by the Ministry of National Defense and the Coast Guard's own investigation, it is currently judged that the missing person defected to the North."

However, some opposition lawmakers rebutted the investigation result as "mere hypothesis." Kim Woong, a People Power Party lawmaker, raised doubts on his Facebook that day, saying, "Is the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official Aquaman? He tried to swim 20 km in a straight line across the autumn night sea with his bare body."

Ha Tae-kyung, also from the same party, pointed out at a press conference that day, "(The Coast Guard's investigation) concluded a hypothesis as fact without decisive physical evidence."

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