Amid growing controversies over the disclosure of information on the Presidential Archives related to the murder of a public official in the West Sea, the Presidential Office responded positively to the disclosure. The plan is to disclose as much information as possible so that the bereaved family and the public do not have any suspicions related to the case.
An official from the presidential office said on the 22nd, “The Yun Seok-yeol administration is making the most of the relevant information so that the bereaved family and the public do not have suspicions.
The official, who assumed that “the records designated by the president are difficult to disclose,” said, “I understand that the President’s Archives are discussing how far they can be disclosed, taking this into consideration.”
Some of the records related to the murder of a public official in the West Sea were designated as presidential records during the Moon Jae-in administration and remain closed for up to 30 years.
Documents related to cases designated as presidential records can be viewed only when two-thirds or more of the members of the National Assembly approve, or a warrant from the Chief of the Seoul High Court, or the release of records by President Moon Jae-in, etc.
Nevertheless, the government plans to respond as much as possible to the bereaved family’s request for information disclosure. Even if it excludes presidential-designated records, which are restricted to access for up to 30 years by law, records that meet the requirements for disclosure will be disclosed.
The Presidential Archives affiliated with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety is planning to reply to the response on the 23rd in relation to the disclosure of related record information requested by the family of the murdered public official against the head of the Presidential Archives on the 25th of last month.
Since the murder of a public official in the West Sea is a matter of great public suspicion and interest, the Presidential Archives has decided to disclose as much information as possible to the extent that it does not significantly harm the vital interests of the country. The Presidential Archives has already entered into review and deliberation by prioritizing the information to be disclosed.
When the government announced that there was no voluntarily defecting to North Korea by Lee Dae-jun, a member of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, who died at the time of the murder of a public official in the West Sea on the 16th, it is the view of the Office of the President that it is not desirable to refute the opposition by providing grounds for overturning the judgment.
An official from the presidential office said, “The Coast Guard is now announcing the results of the final investigation that it was unable to confirm the intention of (Lee Dae-jun) voluntarily defecting to North Korea.” said.
The official continued, “What is the basis for not voluntarily defecting to North Korea (proposed by the opposition), such a debate is not desirable.”
