Moon must tell the truth of the ‘defection’

The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) has concluded that the former government under Moon Jae-in learned that Lee Dae-jun, a fisheries official, drifted to the northern waters to fall under the mercy of North Korea on Sept. 22, 2020, but did nothing until his tragic killing by North Korean soldiers, only to build on the narrative that it was a “voluntary defection.” If the BAI findings are proven, the previous government had committed a grave crime against its citizen.

According to the BAI’s account, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) at 4:43 p.m. that day briefed the higher authority about the missing official who had been discovered by North Koreans after drifting at sea for 38 hours. But the National Security Office at the Blue House and related security officials were sitting on their hands. The Ministries of National Defense and Unification and the Korean coast guard made no rescue effort.

Later at 9:40 p.m., Lee was shot and burned by North Korean soldiers at sea. The National Security Office learned of the brutality at 10 p.m. but decided to keep it secret. The military and National Intelligence Service (NIS) entirely deleted related files. Authorities claimed that the official was “missing” until the next day and lied to his family and the general public.

What’s worse, the government framed Lee as a voluntary defector to the North. The National Security Office ordered the government to keep a single narrative that the fisheries official had voluntarily attempted to defect to North Korea. The JCS claimed that Lee had jumped into the water, even though the slippers found on his fishing-guiding boat could not be his. The JCS even said that he swam more than 20 kilometers (12 miles) into the northern waters. The coast guard supplemented the JCS’s claim with information about his gambling habits and debt.

The inhumane act cannot be tolerated no matter what. The former government came into power with the slogan of placing human rights first. National Security Office head Suh Hoon, NIS director Park Jie-won, and Defense Minister Suh Wook are under investigation or trial related to the affair. The organized scheme could not have taken place without orders.

It must be thoroughly investigated to find out who was behind the scam. It was orchestrated by the National Security Office and the top commander was President Moon. The president was briefed on the affair three hours before Lee was killed, but did not join the late-night meeting. He learned about the killing the following day. It is appalling that the president slept through the night while knowing a South Korean’s life was at stake. The details on presidential involvement remain sealed for 15 years. Moon must clarify how he was informed and what action he took.