People Power Party's 'National Audit' on North Korea Shooting Incident... Fierce Attack on Government Responsibility

Brother of Shot Public Official, Lee Rae-jin, Says "Do Not Commit Honor Killing Against My Brother"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] The People Power Party held a 'National Audit' on the North Korean shooting incident involving a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official, focusing on highlighting the government's responsibility. After the Democratic Party refused to approve witnesses for the audit, the People Power Party intended to inform the public of the truth even in the form of a briefing. At this session, the possibility that the Ministry official fell accidentally rather than defecting to the North was emphasized.

Lee Rae-jin, the brother of the shot official, stated at the National Audit hosted by the People Power Party at the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 18th, "My younger brother was the team leader of the high-speed boat," and claimed, "It is highly likely that he slipped while working on top of it." Lee criticized the government for judging the official's drifting in the West Sea as an attempt to defect to the North, demanding, "My brother is clearly a missing person and should be treated accordingly by the state." He appealed, "The government is only pretending to search after my brother died," and urged, "Do not dishonor my brother's sacrifice with a character assassination."

Shin Jung-geun, head of the Yeonpyeongdo fishing village association, also mentioned the current and wind strength on the day of the incident, stating, "I think it was an accidental fall rather than a defection." After hearing their opinions, People Power Party lawmaker Shin Won-sik said, "There is a 99.99% chance he slipped," and added, "A scientific analysis of the current flow can be conducted."

Additionally, Lee revealed that the Navy conducted a full inspection of life jackets while the Ministry official was still alive. Lee said, "On the afternoon of the 22nd, between 6:00 and 6:30 PM, the Navy conducted a full inspection of life jackets on the ship," and continued, "They boarded at 10 AM on the 22nd and immediately began search operations. Around 6 PM, life jackets were hanging in the ship's corridor. When asked why, they said it was a military secret and told me not to ask."

People Power Party lawmaker Ha Tae-kyung questioned, "At 6 PM on the 22nd, the matter had not yet been reported to the president, and at that time, Lee was still alive. Neither the military nor the coast guard sent any message to North Korea requesting rescue cooperation. The life jacket is the key evidence for the defection claim, so are they trying to fabricate evidence by searching for it?" Lee responded, "I also assume so," and added, "I was also puzzled at that time. Usually, life jacket inspections are conducted by the coast guard or the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries headquarters, but it was done by the military."

People Power Party floor leader Joo Ho-young said, "The Blue House and related agencies, including the Ministry of National Defense, are irresponsibly and negligently pushing the narrative of defection, causing both the bereaved families and the public to feel frustrated and outraged," and sharply criticized, "We tried to summon witnesses and reference persons with an urgent desire to reveal the truth in detail through this audit, but the Democratic Party created a shielded and guarded National Assembly to block the eyes and ears of the people, thoroughly trampling on the public's right to know."

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