'Forced Repatriation of Defector Fishermen' Former NIS Director Suh Hoon Returns to Korea... Focus on Prosecutors' Summon Decision

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] It has been confirmed that former National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Seo Hoon, who was accused in the 'Forced Repatriation of North Korean Fishermen' case, recently returned to Korea.

According to the legal community on the 1st, Seo, who was in the United States invited by a think tank, returned at the end of last month.

Accordingly, attention is focused on when Seo will be summoned by the prosecution for investigation. Earlier, the prosecution took measures to automatically notify them once Seo returns. The prosecution is known to plan to summon Seo for questioning as needed, considering the investigation status and schedule.

Seo was accused of prematurely ending the joint investigation of two North Korean fishermen who crossed the Northern Limit Line (NLL) and came to South Korea in November 2019, on charges of abuse of authority under the National Intelligence Service Act. He is also charged with instructing the alteration of a report by the NIS to the Ministry of Unification, removing expressions such as 'forced investigation necessary' and 'defection,' and adding 'no evidence of espionage,' which constitutes falsification of official documents.

The prosecution conducted a search and seizure at the NIS on the 13th of last month, securing related materials for analysis. They also summoned related personnel, including North Korean surveillance unit members, navy personnel, and NIS employees, as witnesses for investigation.

The prosecution believes that the Moon Jae-in administration forcibly sent the North Korean fishermen back to North Korea without legal grounds despite their intention to defect. In this process, they are verifying whether Seo and other senior government officials at the time ordered meaningless tasks to subordinates or committed illegal acts such as document forgery.

Once the investigations of the working-level personnel are completed, the prosecution is expected to summon Seo and other responsible figures. Former Minister of Unification Kim Yeon-chul, who was the head of the Ministry of Unification during the forced repatriation incident, also returned after completing his trip to the U.S. on the 26th of last month to meet family.

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