[2023 National Audit] Opposition, on 'Defection of Wooden Boat', "NLL Border Operation Failure"

Four North Korean Residents Defect to East Sea by Wooden Boat
Opposition: "Military Unaware of NLL Crossing... Security Gap"
Military: "Abnormal Signs Detected and Tracked by Radar in Advance"

There have been criticisms that the military authorities failed in their 'Northern Limit Line (NLL) border surveillance operation' after North Korean residents defected by boat into the East Sea.

On the 24th, Kim Byung-joo, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized during the National Assembly Defense Committee's Navy Headquarters audit held at Gyeryongdae in Chungnam, saying, "The wooden boat carrying North Korean residents was first observed at a point 24 nautical miles (about 45 km) south of the NLL and 5.4 nautical miles (about 10 km) east of Sokcho," based on a report from Ryu Hyo-sang, Chief of Naval Intelligence Operations. He questioned, "This is off the coast of Sokcho, isn't this a failure in border surveillance?"

On the 24th, at the National Defense Committee's Navy Headquarters audit held at Gyeryongdae, Chungnam, Kim Byung-joo, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is asking questions.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Earlier that day, four North Korean residents defected by small wooden boat into the East Sea. During the process of identifying and tracking abnormal signs in advance, a fisherman reported a 'suspicious vessel.' Kim raised concerns that the military authorities failed to detect the wooden boat crossing the maritime boundary line, the NLL, heading south, and only initiated operations after receiving a civilian report.

The military authorities stated that these claims are inaccurate. Deputy Chief Ryu explained, "The wooden boat was detected by the Army Coastal Surveillance Battalion equipment south of the NLL," adding, "During subsequent tracking and monitoring, there was a process of situation and target identification, during which the fisherman’s report was received."

Nevertheless, the opposition repeatedly criticized the military's response. Kim acknowledged that "it is true that small wooden boats are difficult to detect by radar," but pointed out, "The Navy should have detected and taken action before the boat reached 40 to 50 km beyond the NLL, so the operation starting after the civilian report can only be interpreted as a failure in border surveillance." Democratic Party member Ki Dong-min also added, "The boat was not detected for over two hours after crossing the NLL," and said, "Although these are ordinary North Korean residents and the threat level may be low, isn't it possible that armed soldiers with specific purposes could infiltrate?"

On the 24th, a small wooden boat used by four North Korean residents during their defection process is being towed.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the other hand, the ruling party countered the opposition’s offensive, saying it is premature to conclude 'border surveillance failure' before the defection investigation is complete. Lee Chae-ik of the People Power Party said, "The Joint Chiefs of Staff investigation is not yet complete," and criticized, "Therefore, it is wrong for the political circles and the standing committee to prematurely conclude it was a border surveillance failure." He emphasized, "Today's operation proceeded normally," adding, "A maritime patrol aircraft was urgently dispatched to conduct a comprehensive search operation, and at around 5:30 a.m., the Army radar also detected an unidentified maritime target in advance."

Deputy Chief Ryu responded to People Power Party member Han Ki-ho’s (Chairman of the Defense Committee) question about whether the boat was discovered through the fisherman’s report or detected by Army radar or thermal observation devices (TOD) before crossing the NLL, saying, "It was detected by radar and TOD," but added, "It was not identified before crossing the NLL." When fellow party member Sung Il-jong asked about the time difference between the Army’s detection and the civilian report, Ryu emphasized, "I am confident that the military detected it before the civilians," but did not specify the exact time gap.

Chief of Naval Staff Lee Jong-ho stated, "If infiltration occurs via special vessels from the North, the speed, infiltration purpose, and materials differ, so there are differences," and pledged, "We will ensure there are no gaps in maritime border surveillance operations."

On the 24th, at the National Defense Committee's Navy Headquarters audit held at Gyeryongdae, Chungnam, Chief of Naval Operations Lee Jong-ho is taking the oath.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, earlier that morning, government sources reported that four North Korean residents who came down by wooden boat into the East Sea expressed their intention to defect. There are speculations that they are a family consisting of one male and three females, but the government has stated it is difficult to confirm this. It is known that the individuals are currently under investigation regarding their defection background and whether it is a disguised defection. The joint interrogation is conducted by agencies including the military, police, and National Intelligence Service, with the Ministry of Unification participating to prevent a recurrence of the forced repatriation incident of North Korean fishermen in November 2019.

An official from the National Intelligence Service explained, "It is true that four unidentified North Korean individuals crossed the maritime boundary through the East Sea," and added, "A joint intelligence investigation will be conducted with related agencies according to the Integrated Defense Act."

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