Bereaved Family of Killed Official Visits North Korean Mission to Urge Truth Investigation

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] "There must be a sincere and proper definite apology."

The bereaved family of the late Lee Dae-jun, a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official killed by North Korean soldiers in the West Sea, along with members of the National Assembly, requested the North Korean side on the 16th (local time) in front of the North Korean Mission to the United Nations in New York, USA, to dispatch a condolence delegation, conduct a fact-finding investigation, and allow the bereaved family to visit the site.

The deceased’s older brother, Lee Rae-jin, in a letter addressed to North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, stated, "I ask for a generous permission to conduct an investigation for a clear truth-finding and to allow the bereaved family to visit the accident site." He added, "I hope that the leader’s generous consideration to resolve this incident will begin through a meeting for a tripartite joint fact-finding investigation involving authorities at Panmunjom and the UN."

At a press conference, he said, "Although Chairman Kim has already expressed regret, at that time the previous government framed it as a defection and announced that 'my younger brother was at fault,' but now it is clear that North Korea was at fault, so there must be a sincere and proper definite apology," adding, "We must receive an apology regarding this incident."

He also said, "Such a tragedy must never happen again. I want to ask Chairman Kim why innocent people have to suffer and die unjustly," and insisted, "The North Korean condolence delegation must come to the funeral held without the body on the 22nd. Only then will the sincerity of the apology be established, and it can serve as an opportunity for inter-Korean dialogue."

Present at the scene were People Power Party lawmakers Ha Tae-kyung, Hong Seok-joon, Hwang Bo-seung-hee, and Ji Seong-ho, who came to the U.S. for the International Parliamentary Coalition for North Korean Refugee Human Rights (IPCNKR) general meeting, as well as Park Sun-young, chairperson of the nonprofit organization Mulmangcho. They attempted to deliver the letter addressed to Chairman Kim directly to the North Korean Mission to the UN, but as the mission refused, they tried to deliver it by placing the letter in the mailbox.

Meanwhile, on the 17th, Lee Rae-jin will meet the parents of Otto Warmbier, an American college student who was detained in North Korea and died, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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