{"id":2200,"date":"2022-12-03T14:18:16","date_gmt":"2022-12-03T14:18:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=2200"},"modified":"2023-03-23T18:53:32","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T18:53:32","slug":"seoul-arrests-former-security-chief-over-border-killings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/diplomatic-world\/seoul-arrests-former-security-chief-over-border-killings\/2022\/12\/03\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Seoul arrests former security chief over Border Killings"},"content":{"rendered":"

SEOUL,<\/span> South<\/span> Korea<\/span> (AP)<\/span> Dec<\/span> 3<\/span> –<\/span> South<\/span> Korea’s<\/span> former<\/span> national<\/span> security<\/span> chief<\/span> was<\/span> arrested<\/span> on<\/span> Saturday<\/span> for<\/span> covering<\/span> up<\/span> North<\/span> Korea’s<\/span> 2020<\/span> killing<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> South<\/span> Korean<\/span> fishery<\/span> official<\/span> near<\/span> rival’s<\/span> maritime<\/span> border.<\/span> rice<\/span> field.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Seo<\/span> Hoon’s<\/span> arrest<\/span> drew<\/span> criticism<\/span> early<\/span> Saturday<\/span> as<\/span> the<\/span> conservative<\/span> government,<\/span> led<\/span> by<\/span> President<\/span> Yoon<\/span> Suk-yeol,<\/span> was<\/span> investigating<\/span> its<\/span> response<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> murder<\/span> of<\/span> its<\/span> liberal<\/span> predecessor<\/span> and<\/span> another<\/span> border<\/span> incident<\/span> later<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> year.<\/span> .<\/span> Seoul<\/span> desperately<\/span> tried<\/span> to<\/span> appease<\/span> North<\/span> Korea<\/span> to<\/span> improve<\/span> relations.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Former<\/span> President<\/span> Moon<\/span> Jae-in<\/span> risked<\/span> his<\/span> only<\/span> tenure<\/span> in<\/span> office<\/span> to<\/span> reconcile<\/span> inter-Korean<\/span> relations<\/span> before<\/span> stepping<\/span> down<\/span> in<\/span> May.<\/span> issued<\/span> a<\/span> statement<\/span> accusing<\/span> it<\/span> of<\/span> politicizing<\/span> sensitive<\/span> security<\/span> issues.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Judge<\/span> Kim<\/span> Jong-min<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Seoul<\/span> Central<\/span> District<\/span> Court<\/span> granted<\/span> the<\/span> prosecutors’<\/span> request<\/span> to<\/span> arrest<\/span> Seo<\/span> for<\/span> fear<\/span> he<\/span> might<\/span> try<\/span> to<\/span> destroy<\/span> evidence,<\/span> the<\/span> court<\/span> said<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> statement.<\/span> Su<\/span> did<\/span> not<\/span> answer<\/span> reporters’<\/span> questions<\/span> about<\/span> the<\/span> allegations<\/span> when<\/span> he<\/span> appeared<\/span> in<\/span> court<\/span> on<\/span> Friday<\/span> to<\/span> review<\/span> the<\/span> prosecutor’s<\/span> arrest<\/span> warrant.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> killer<\/span> also<\/span> served<\/span> as<\/span> President<\/span> Moon’s<\/span> chief<\/span> spy<\/span> before<\/span> he<\/span> was<\/span> appointed<\/span> director<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> National<\/span> Security<\/span> Agency<\/span> two<\/span> months<\/span> ago.<\/span> He<\/span> faces<\/span> allegations<\/span> that,<\/span> as<\/span> the<\/span> government<\/span> drafted<\/span> an<\/span> official<\/span> statement<\/span> on<\/span> Lee’s<\/span> death,<\/span> he<\/span> used<\/span> a<\/span> cabinet<\/span> meeting<\/span> to<\/span> order<\/span> officials<\/span> to<\/span> erase<\/span> intelligence<\/span> records<\/span> related<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> case.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Suh<\/span> also<\/span> allegedly<\/span> ordered<\/span> the<\/span> Department<\/span> of<\/span> Defense,<\/span> the<\/span> National<\/span> Intelligence<\/span> Agency,<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> Coast<\/span> Guard<\/span> to<\/span> portray<\/span> Lee<\/span> as<\/span> an<\/span> attempt<\/span> to<\/span> desertion<\/span> in<\/span> their<\/span> reports<\/span> on<\/span> his<\/span> assassination.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>In<\/span> June,<\/span> the<\/span> Pentagon<\/span> and<\/span> Coast<\/span> Guard<\/span> refuted<\/span> the<\/span> Moon<\/span> administration’s<\/span> account<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> incident,<\/span> saying<\/span> there<\/span> was<\/span> no<\/span> evidence<\/span> that<\/span> Lee<\/span> attempted<\/span> to<\/span> escape.<\/span> Moon’s<\/span> Democratic<\/span> Party<\/span> released<\/span> a<\/span> statement<\/span> criticizing<\/span> Seo’s<\/span> arrest,<\/span> saying<\/span> that<\/span> “all<\/span> the<\/span> materials<\/span> are<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> hands<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Yoon<\/span> Seok-yeol<\/span> administration,”<\/span> so<\/span> the<\/span> suspicion<\/span> that<\/span> he<\/span> could<\/span> destroy<\/span> evidence<\/span> is<\/span> unwarranted.<\/span> said.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“The<\/span> Department<\/span> of<\/span> Defense,<\/span> Coast<\/span> Guard,<\/span> National<\/span> Intelligence<\/span> Service,<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> security-related<\/span> agencies<\/span> have<\/span> rendered<\/span> their<\/span> verdict<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> West<\/span> Sea<\/span> incident<\/span> based<\/span> on<\/span> information<\/span> and<\/span> analysis<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> situation,”<\/span> the<\/span> party<\/span> said<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> statement.<\/span> called<\/span> the<\/span> political<\/span> revenge<\/span> of<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> Yoon<\/span> administration<\/span> is<\/span> separately<\/span> investigating<\/span> the<\/span> deportation<\/span> of<\/span> two<\/span> North<\/span> Korean<\/span> fishermen<\/span> in<\/span> 2019<\/span> despite<\/span> wanting<\/span> to<\/span> settle<\/span> in<\/span> South<\/span> Korea.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>In<\/span> July,<\/span> the<\/span> National<\/span> Intelligence<\/span> Service<\/span> indicted<\/span> Seo<\/span> and<\/span> his<\/span> successor,<\/span> Park<\/span> Ji-won,<\/span> on<\/span> charges<\/span> of<\/span> abuse<\/span> of<\/span> power,<\/span> destruction<\/span> of<\/span> official<\/span> documents,<\/span> and<\/span> falsification<\/span> of<\/span> documents<\/span> related<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> two<\/span> cases.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> agency<\/span> indicted<\/span> Park,<\/span> who<\/span> served<\/span> as<\/span> director<\/span> until<\/span> May,<\/span> for<\/span> ordering<\/span> the<\/span> destruction<\/span> of<\/span> information<\/span> reports<\/span> on<\/span> Lee’s<\/span> death.<\/span> It<\/span> accused<\/span> Suh<\/span> of<\/span> forcibly<\/span> halting<\/span> an<\/span> investigation<\/span> into<\/span> the<\/span> repatriation<\/span> status<\/span> of<\/span> two<\/span> North<\/span> Korean<\/span> fishermen<\/span> caught<\/span> in<\/span> South<\/span> Korean<\/span> waters<\/span> in<\/span> 2019.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Critics<\/span> say<\/span> the<\/span> Moon<\/span> government<\/span> has<\/span> never<\/span> given<\/span> a<\/span> clear<\/span> explanation<\/span> as<\/span> to<\/span> why<\/span> the<\/span> two<\/span> fugitives<\/span> were<\/span> sent<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> North<\/span> to<\/span> face<\/span> possible<\/span> execution.<\/span> described<\/span> them<\/span> as<\/span> criminals<\/span> and<\/span> questioned<\/span> their<\/span> sincerity<\/span> in<\/span> wanting<\/span> to<\/span> go<\/span> into<\/span> exile.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Dozens<\/span> of<\/span> international<\/span> organizations,<\/span> including<\/span> Human<\/span> Rights<\/span> Watch,<\/span> issued<\/span> a<\/span> joint<\/span> statement<\/span> saying<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> Moon<\/span> administration<\/span> failed<\/span> to<\/span> follow<\/span> due<\/span> process<\/span> and<\/span> “has<\/span> been<\/span> exposed<\/span> to<\/span> grave<\/span> risks<\/span> of<\/span> torture<\/span> and<\/span> other<\/span> serious<\/span> human<\/span> rights<\/span> violations<\/span> after<\/span> repatriation.”<\/span> He<\/span> accused<\/span> him<\/span> of<\/span> failing<\/span> to<\/span> “protect<\/span> a<\/span> certain<\/span> person.”<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>President<\/span> Moon<\/span> has<\/span> shown<\/span> little<\/span> indication<\/span> of<\/span> any<\/span> effort<\/span> to<\/span> engage<\/span> with<\/span> North<\/span> Korea,<\/span> and<\/span> investigations<\/span> into<\/span> two<\/span> incidents<\/span> have<\/span> further<\/span> bruised<\/span> his<\/span> legacy.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>But<\/span> diplomacy<\/span> has<\/span> never<\/span> recovered<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> failure<\/span> of<\/span> his<\/span> second<\/span> Kim-Trump<\/span> meeting<\/span> in<\/span> Vietnam<\/span> in<\/span> 2019.<\/span> Negotiations<\/span> collapsed<\/span> as<\/span> both<\/span> sides<\/span> failed<\/span> to<\/span> agree<\/span> to<\/span> exchange<\/span> crippling<\/span> US-led<\/span> sanctions<\/span> against<\/span> North<\/span> Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) Dec 3 – South Korea’s former national security chief was arrested on Saturday for covering up North Korea’s 2020 killing of a South Korean fishery official near rival’s maritime border. rice field. Seo Hoon’s arrest drew criticism early Saturday as the conservative government, led by President Yoon Suk-yeol, was investigating its […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2201,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[24,26],"tags":[104,150,436,437,438],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/SOUTHKOREAN.webp","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2200"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2200"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2200\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2202,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2200\/revisions\/2202"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2201"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2200"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2200"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}