South Korea releases video of controversial repatriation of defecting North Korean sailors

The South Korean government published this Monday a video in which local officials are seen handing over to the authorities of the neighboring country two north korean sailors who defected to the South following allegedly murdering part of the crew with whom they worked, a controversial case due to criticism of the speed with which the repatriation was carried out.

The video, regarding four minutes long and published by the Ministry of Unification (in charge of relations with the North), shows the delivery, carried out through the Joint Security Zone (JSA), of the two North Korean fishermen who arrived by sea to southern territory in November 2019.

The video shows how one of the sailors resists and has to be lifted off the ground and dragged through the Military Demarcation Line (MDL)which separates the South Korean fringe from the North Korean fringe in the JSA.

The JSA, also known as Panmunjom village, is located in the heart of the militarized inter-Korean border and has been the scene of summits between the leaders of both countries and also of a meeting among North Korean Marshal Kim Jong-unand former US President Donald Trump.

Criticism for return to North Korea

The two fishermen were repatriated just five days following being arrested by the South Korean authorities following confessing that they allegedly murdered 16 other colleagues with whom they fished before fleeing from North Korea.

Bearing in mind that any deserter must be investigated by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) upon arrival in the South for at least 15 days, the speed with which they were handed over to the neighboring country, where there are no guarantees of the rule of law, It has unleashed harsh criticism once morest the previous liberal Moon Jae-in government, which was in power when the case took place.

The then director of the (NIS), Suh Hoon, is being investigated by the prosecution following a recent complaint by the agency itself, which considers that Suh allegedly accelerated the repatriation, which Pionyang he did not request, apparently in order not to anger the North Korean regime at a time when the bilateral dialogue was entering a dead end.

The current South Korean president, the conservative Yoon Suk-yeol, has promised that the administration will be transparent during the investigation of a case that the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) has described as “outrageous and inexcusable violation of human rights”.

Both Koreas they are still technically at war, since the conflict between them between 1950 and 1953 ended with a ceasefire instead of a peace treaty. EFE