BAI: Moon administration did not take any rescue action for Lee Dae-jun
Posted December. 08, 2023 08:57,
Updated December. 08, 2023 08:57
BAI: Moon administration did not take any rescue action for Lee Dae-jun.
December. 08, 2023 08:57.
yea@donga.com.
The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) on Thursday released an audit report on the killing of Lee Dae-jun, a South Korean government fisheries official, by the North Korean military in the Yellow Sea one year and five months after the audit agency launched an inspection in June last year. The results of the inspection found that the government did not take initial action but neglected the incident until he was dead.
According to the BAI, former Defense Minister Suh Wook received a report from the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) at 4:51 p.m. on Sept. 22, 2020 that a South Korean citizen was found in waters near Deungsan Cape in North Korea. The same intelligence report was delivered to Suh Joo-seok, first deputy national security director, at 5:18 p.m. and Suh Hoon, national security director, at 5:30 p.m. It was around 38 hours after Lee disappeared and went missing near Yeonpyeongdo in the Yellow Sea at around 1 a.m. the previous day.
Nevertheless, Director Suh did not hold an initial situation meeting to decide how to respond but merely ordered the Ministry of National Defense and the National Intelligence Service (NIS), which were already aware of the situation, to keep it confidential, according to the report. Meanwhile, it was found that the National Security Office shared the case with the Coast Guard and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, which were in the middle of a search operation, stressing that it must be kept confidential. However, it attempted not to let the Ministry of Unification and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs know although the ministries could have requested that North Korea help rescue Lee. Key officials, including Director Suh and Deputy Director Suh, reportedly got off work at around 7 p.m., although they didn’t receive any report on whether Lee was rescued.
Not until three hours after Lee was shot to death by the North Korean military did the South Korean government convene a ministerial meeting to order related authorities to maintain confidentiality. The South Korean military and the NIS suddenly removed intelligence reports related to the incident on their internal network systems early in the morning of the same day. According to the BAI's report, the government pretended that a search operation was underway to discover the missing man. After the news media reported Lee's death, it attempted to manipulate related evidence to falsely argue that Lee had tried to defect to North Korea on his own.
The BAI demanded that 13 generals, directors of the Ministry of Unification, and Coast Guard seniors be sanctioned and given a disciplinary warning and that the audit results be applied to their personal data. The audit agency also notified that they should be reflected in the personal data of former Defense Minister Suh Wook and former Coast Guard Commissioner Kim Hong-hee even though they had already retired.
한국어
The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) on Thursday released an audit report on the killing of Lee Dae-jun, a South Korean government fisheries official, by the North Korean military in the Yellow Sea one year and five months after the audit agency launched an inspection in June last year. The results of the inspection found that the government did not take initial action but neglected the incident until he was dead.
According to the BAI, former Defense Minister Suh Wook received a report from the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) at 4:51 p.m. on Sept. 22, 2020 that a South Korean citizen was found in waters near Deungsan Cape in North Korea. The same intelligence report was delivered to Suh Joo-seok, first deputy national security director, at 5:18 p.m. and Suh Hoon, national security director, at 5:30 p.m. It was around 38 hours after Lee disappeared and went missing near Yeonpyeongdo in the Yellow Sea at around 1 a.m. the previous day.
Nevertheless, Director Suh did not hold an initial situation meeting to decide how to respond but merely ordered the Ministry of National Defense and the National Intelligence Service (NIS), which were already aware of the situation, to keep it confidential, according to the report. Meanwhile, it was found that the National Security Office shared the case with the Coast Guard and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, which were in the middle of a search operation, stressing that it must be kept confidential. However, it attempted not to let the Ministry of Unification and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs know although the ministries could have requested that North Korea help rescue Lee. Key officials, including Director Suh and Deputy Director Suh, reportedly got off work at around 7 p.m., although they didn’t receive any report on whether Lee was rescued.
Not until three hours after Lee was shot to death by the North Korean military did the South Korean government convene a ministerial meeting to order related authorities to maintain confidentiality. The South Korean military and the NIS suddenly removed intelligence reports related to the incident on their internal network systems early in the morning of the same day. According to the BAI's report, the government pretended that a search operation was underway to discover the missing man. After the news media reported Lee's death, it attempted to manipulate related evidence to falsely argue that Lee had tried to defect to North Korea on his own.
The BAI demanded that 13 generals, directors of the Ministry of Unification, and Coast Guard seniors be sanctioned and given a disciplinary warning and that the audit results be applied to their personal data. The audit agency also notified that they should be reflected in the personal data of former Defense Minister Suh Wook and former Coast Guard Commissioner Kim Hong-hee even though they had already retired.
yea@donga.com
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