Kwon Young-se "Sending Defectors Back to North Korea as Criminals Is a Problem"

Ministry of Unification Reports to Foreign Affairs Committee... Discussion on Amendment of North Korean Defectors Act
"Request for Investigation of Serious Crime Defectors... Judicial Credibility Issues"

Unification Minister Kwon Young-se emphasized repeatedly that the law requiring domestic investigative agencies to investigate North Korean defectors who attempt to enter the country after committing serious crimes is "necessary, even if there are limitations." This is a revision included in the amendment to the Act on the Protection and Settlement Support of North Korean Defectors, prepared to prevent the recurrence of the 'forced repatriation of North Korean fishermen' incident.

On the 9th, during a current affairs report at the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee plenary meeting, Minister Kwon commented on the pending partial amendment to the Act on the Protection and Settlement Support of North Korean Defectors, stating, "Sending (North Korean defectors who committed serious crimes) to places where the judicial system cannot be trusted could rather become a problem."

Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se reports at the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee plenary meeting held at the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 9th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

In response to Democratic Party lawmaker Hwang Ui's question, "Is it possible to investigate without North Korea's cooperation?" he retorted, "There have been cases where crimes committed in North Korea or third countries were tried and convicted under our judicial system." He added, "There will be various limitations, but it is better to try within the domestic judicial system within a limited scope." This is interpreted as meaning that since North Korea's judicial system cannot be trusted, it is necessary to handle related matters domestically.

Minister Kwon stated, "For crimes that are not political in nature, such as administrative or traffic offenses, it may be appropriate to be punished in the society to which one belongs," and "Separately, even if someone is a criminal, sending a person who defects to the South and intends to stay there back to North Korea solely because they are a criminal is problematic." Regarding concerns that "simple offenders might claim to be political prisoners," he said, "Just because they insist does not mean it can be recognized," and added, "It is necessary to objectively judge by comprehensively considering the nature of the crime and other circumstances."

The amendment to the Act on the Protection and Settlement Support of North Korean Defectors includes the provision that "the Minister of Unification may, if necessary, request an investigation or take other necessary measures after deliberation by the Protection and Settlement Support Council for North Korean Defectors regarding defectors who have entered the country and are international criminal offenders, murderers, or serious non-political criminals." Previously, in November 2019, two North Korean sailors killed 16 colleagues, defected, and expressed their intention to surrender, but the Moon Jae-in administration at the time rejected this and repatriated them to North Korea. The Ministry of Unification states that the amendment was prepared to prevent such incidents from recurring, and the investigation request clause is a supplementary measure following claims that "there is no proper punishment method if heinous criminals are accepted as defectors."

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