[Exclusive] Forced Deportation of Defectors: Only 2 North Korean Fishermen in 2019

Jeon Juhye People Power Party Security Disorder TF Member
276 Defections to the South Since 2010
194 Repatriated, 82 Surrendered
"Thorough Investigation of Procedures Must Be Conducted"

The Ministry of Unification released photos on the 12th taken in November 2019 at Panmunjom while repatriating two North Korean fishermen who had defected. At that time, the government stated that the two North Korean sailors had killed 16 colleagues, defected, and expressed their intention to seek asylum, but they were expelled to North Korea through Panmunjom. The photo shows the defecting fishermen struggling and refusing repatriation. 2022.7.12 [Provided by the Ministry of Unification. Resale and DB prohibited] [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] It has been confirmed that the only case in the past 10 years where the government forcibly repatriated North Korean residents who expressed an intention to defect was the November 2019 ‘Forced Repatriation of Defector Fishermen’ incident.

According to data received by Rep. Jeon Ju-hye, a member of the People Power Party’s National Security Disorder Investigation Task Force, from the Ministry of Unification on the 20th, a total of 276 North Korean residents (67 occasions) have come south by sea since 2010. Among them, 194 people (47 occasions) were repatriated, and 82 people (27 occasions) defected. The only cases of forced repatriation despite expressing an intention to defect were the two defector fishermen forcibly repatriated in 2019.

North Korean residents arriving by sea sometimes do so by simple mistake and have returned via the sea route or were repatriated through Panmunjom. If repatriation has not occurred even once since 2010 until recently, this unusual repatriation method suggests that in the case of the forced repatriation incident, there may have been an intention to quickly send the two fishermen back to North Korea at that time. The opposition’s claim that they were forcibly repatriated because they were ‘heinous criminals’ is also unconvincing. There are precedents where defectors were tried domestically for crimes committed in North Korea. Rep. Jeon emphasized, “This case is the only forced repatriation case involving defectors who expressed their intention to defect, and since the Ministry of Unification and the Ministry of Justice have also stated that there is no legal basis for the forced repatriation of defector fishermen, a more thorough investigation into the procedures and legitimacy must be conducted.”

The prosecution is reportedly reviewing whether there were procedural issues with the early conclusion of the joint investigation at the time of the forced repatriation incident of the defector fishermen. It is said that they found it suspicious that the joint interrogation by the National Intelligence Service, which normally takes about two weeks to verify the fishermen’s identities and intentions to defect, ended in just three days. Regarding the scope of repatriation work to the North, the Ministry of Unification stated, “According to the manual, the intention to receive is confirmed with the North Korean side through inter-Korean dialogue channels, and the date and other details are negotiated for repatriation.”

To investigate the facts of the incident, the People Power Party’s National Security Disorder Task Force plans to invite defector fishermen to the National Assembly for a meeting this afternoon.

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