Presidential Office on Photos of Repatriated North Korean Fishermen: "Inhumane Crime... Truth Must Be Fully Uncovered" (Update)

The Ministry of Unification released photos taken on November 2019 at Panmunjom while repatriating two North Korean fishermen on the 12th. /

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The Presidential Office stated regarding the photo showing a defector who was repatriated to North Korea through Panmunjom on November 7, 2019, "The Yoon Seok-yeol administration will thoroughly investigate the truth of this incident to restore the universal values of freedom and human rights."

On the 13th, Kang In-sun, spokesperson for the Presidential Office, said at the Yongsan Presidential Office briefing room, "If the defector's intention to defect was expressed but they were forcibly repatriated, this constitutes an inhumane and anti-humanitarian criminal act that violates both international law and the constitution," adding, "This is why a thorough investigation is absolutely necessary."

The day before, the Ministry of Unification released 10 photos related to the incident to the media, stating, "It has been customary to take photos for record-keeping when repatriating North Korean residents at Panmunjom." The photos captured the scene during the 2019 'Forced Repatriation of North Korean Fishermen' incident, showing South Korean officials handing over defectors to the North Korean side, with scenes of the defectors resisting to avoid crossing the Military Demarcation Line and officials forcibly standing them up and seemingly dragging them away.

In response, spokesperson Kang pointed out, "The scene of refusal to be repatriated is clearly captured in the photos," and criticized, "The desperate struggle to avoid being dragged away is very different from the Moon Jae-in administration's explanation that 'there was no intention to defect at all.'"

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