[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] The Reason the Military Was Excluded from the Repatriation of North Korean Defectors

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] It has been revealed that when two North Korean fishermen who killed their fellow crew members in November 2019 were sent back to the North, the police were in charge of the escort duties because the Ministry of National Defense refused. The Ministry refused because the North Korean fishermen were civilians.

At a regular briefing on the 14th, Deputy Spokesperson Moon Hong-sik responded to related questions by saying, "There was a request for escort (of North Korean residents), but it was refused because it did not comply with relevant regulations," adding, "In other words, the military refused because escorting civilians is not a matter for the military to be involved in."

In photos of the repatriation of North Korean fishermen at Panmunjom released by the Ministry of Unification on the 13th, eight police special forces officers in plain clothes can be seen holding the arms of fishermen resisting repatriation and dragging them to the Military Demarcation Line. At that time, when the government’s request for escort duties was refused by the military, the police special forces were assigned the escort mission to Panmunjom.

However, the Ministry of National Defense informed the JSA Battalion that the repatriation was to proceed on a civilian level, and it is known that during the repatriation process, the JSA Security Battalion supported the escort from inside the Freedom House at Panmunjom to the Military Demarcation Line for about 12 minutes starting at 3 p.m.

Also, the National Police Agency stated, "We did not participate in the decision-making process regarding the escort," but added, "We received a request for escort support from related agencies citing concerns about self-harm, and we dispatched eight police special forces officers." This means that the police special forces were mobilized for the escort operation based on the support request without participating in the decision-making process that determined police involvement in the escort.

In fact, photos released the previous day show police special forces officers in plain clothes holding the arms of fishermen resisting repatriation and leading them to the Military Demarcation Line. The photos also show North Korean fishermen with their hands tied behind their backs with zip ties and wearing blindfolds.

The government decided to repatriate two North Korean residents who killed 16 fellow crew members in November 2019, and the police were deployed for the repatriation through Panmunjom, forcibly handing over the two resisting fishermen to the North.

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