UN chief urges transparent probe into shooting death of S. Korean civilian

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed condolences for and demanded a transparent investigation into the shooting death of a South Korean civil servant from the Oceans and Fisheries Ministry by the North Korean military while he was adrift in the Yellow Sea on last Tuesday.

According to Voice of America on Saturday, the spokesperson’s office for the UN Secretary-General said in an email dated Friday to the U.S. media outlet that “(Secretary-General Guterres) is lamenting the shooting death of a South Korean civilian in waters on the Korean Peninsula and demanding a transparent investigation.” The office further quoted the UN chief as saying, “In order to ease tension in border regions and build trust, I urge (North Korea) to restore the spirit of the joint (September 19, 2018) Pyongyang Declaration and the (2018) inter-Korean military accord. He expressed anew his support for reopening of inter-Korean dialogue.”

The North admitted that its military killed a South Korean civil servant through a notice from its Untied Front Department dated Friday. As the North is making claim that is different from the South Korean government regarding whether higher chain of command in the North’s military ordered the killing, whether they damaged the body, and whether the civil servant attempted to defect to the North, there is growing voice demanding an investigation to find the truth.


Se-Hyung Lee turtle@donga.com