Boat engineer of defectors seeks return to the North

INCHEON -- The South Korean government will return the engineer of a fishing boat used by a group of North Koreans in their dramatic escape from their famine-stricken homeland, if the man seeks repatriation to North Korea.

Lee Gyeong-seong, 33, and 20 other North Koreans, mostly members of Sun Yong-beom's family, defected to South Korea aboard a small fishing boat, arriving Sunday night. They are in government custody undergoing debriefing.

Mr. Lee was forced to come to the South by the Suns, the Seoul government said Tuesday. "Mr. Lee was on night duty guarding the boat when the Suns and others were preparing for their exodus with the Saturday dawn," an official said. "The defectors lured Mr. Lee on board the boat and forcibly locked him up in an engine room." The boat soon left from a small pier in Seoncheon, North Pyeongan province.

"When the boat was first discovered and inspected by our maritime police, Mr. Lee said he had been forcibly locked away and made clear his intention to return to North Korea," the official said, but added that Mr. Lee is experiencing severe emotional complications. "South Korea will confirm Mr. Lee's final decision and then decide how to handle his case," the official said. The Red Cross would handle his repatriation, if that is what Mr. Lee chooses.

Mr. Lee is reportedly worrying about his parents, wife and children in North Korea if he chooses to remain in the South.

The National Maritime Police Agency denied some media reports that Mr. Lee had been locked up throughout the two-day escape voyage until the maritime police discovered the defectors. "When we were bringing the defectors to the deck, none was tied up," said a police source. "While we were towing the boat to Incheon, the captain and the engineer were aboard the boat with two of our maritime police officers, but the engineer never spoke about being tied up."

by Oh Young-hwan, Eum Tae-min