(LEAD) Late official's brother claims DP offered compensation for acknowledging brother's defection attempt

All News 16:45 June 29, 2022

(ATTN; UPDATES with details of President Yoon's letter in last 4 paras)
By Kim Han-joo

SEOUL, June 29 (Yonhap) -- The brother of a fisheries official killed by North Korea in 2020 claimed Wednesday the then ruling Democratic Party (DP) offered to give the family financial compensation if they acknowledged his brother attempted to defect to the North.

After President Yoon Suk-yeol took office last month, the Coast Guard and the defense ministry revisited the case and overturned their previous conclusion on the alleged defection attempt of the late fisheries official Lee Dae-jin. He was shot and killed by North Korea's military near the western sea border on Sept. 22, 2020,

"The DP had told me they would give us compensation if we acknowledged defection," Lee Rae-jin said in a Facebook post. "But I rejected it flatly and told them my brother did not (try to) defect. I do not need that money, and I will restore my brother's honor and reveal the truth."

The late official's family has demanded access to classified presidential documents to determine why the previous Moon Jae-in government announced, without sufficient evidence, that their loved one was shot and killed while attempting to defect to the North.

The Presidential Archive has rejected the family's demand for access to classified documents.

Presidential documents are sealed for up to 30 years from the end of presidencies, with a legal exception for their disclosure if they are considered vital evidence in an investigation. The documents can be opened upon parliamentary approval from two-thirds of lawmakers or a warrant issued by a high court in the jurisdiction.

President Yoon apologized for the mishap in a letter sent to the son of the late official.

"I am sincerely ashamed and sorry about the fact that the nation inflicted deep wounds on the family that cannot be washed away, despite one giant step having been taken in an effort to reveal the truth," according to the letter revealed by Lee's family.

The letter was written on June 22, in response to a letter from the son, the family said.

Earlier, Yoon suggested that his administration could disclose more information about the death, saying that the government should do all it can to address suspicions people have.