Commissioner Jeong Bong-hoon of the Korea Coast Guard apologizes to the public in connection with the investigation into the ‘West Sea murdered public official’ incident in September 2020 at the Coast Guard in Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon on the 22nd. [사진 출처 = 해양경찰청, 연합뉴스] In connection with the investigation into the murder of Lee Dae-jun, an official of the West Sea Fisheries Management Team of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, by the North Korean military in the waters north of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea, Commissioner of the Korea Coast Guard, Jeong Bong-hoon, apologized to the public on the 22nd.
Commissioner Jeong said at the lobby on the 1st floor of the Coast Guard building on the afternoon of the same day, “I sincerely apologize to the public and the bereaved families for causing many misunderstandings regarding the announcement of the results of the investigation into the public officials that were hit.” He continued, “As the head of the Coast Guard, I feel deeply responsible for causing confusion and disappointment with the announcement of the investigation.”
Commissioner Chung’s apology to the public on this day was made abruptly after meeting with members of the People’s Power ‘The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Investigation Task Force (TF)’.
Members of the People’s Strength TF, including Rep. Ha Tae-kyung, the head of the task force, criticized the Coast Guard, saying, “The principle of presumption of innocence was applied in this case, not the principle of presumption of innocence.”
Commissioner Jeong explained that the results were different from when the interim investigation was announced one year and nine months ago, saying, “Based on the initial position of the Ministry of National Defense and the evidence confirmed by the Coast Guard itself, it was determined that the North Korean defector was North Korea.” “In June last year, we requested the Ministry of National Defense for special information (SI) necessary for investigation, but the Ministry of National Defense did not provide data, so we could not actually secure evidence to prove the charges related to North Korea.”
He said, “The opinion of the Investigation Deliberation Committee was that (existing evidence) could not be regarded as the basis for defection to North Korea because it had to be strictly proven. We have closed this case by considering the benefits of the lawsuit,” he explained.
He added, “I ask that the results of the investigation be judged by the legal standard, and I would like to offer my condolences and condolences to the bereaved family,” he added. .
Previously, the Coast Guard announced the results of the interim investigation after a week in relation to the assassination of Lee Dae-jun in the West Sea in September 2020 and said that it was determined that Lee had fled North Korea.
At that time, the Coast Guard announced that it was judged that Lee Dae-jun voluntarily defected to North Korea based on the North Korean signal intelligence intercepted by the military authorities and the results of sea drift predictions. The fact that Lee often gambled before his death had debts was also presented as the basis for the decision to defect to North Korea.
The Coast Guard held a press briefing on the 16th of this month, the first in a year and nine months, and overturned the investigation results saying that it could not find Lee’s intention to defect to North Korea.
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