More on the bizarre case of the South Korean fisheries official who either fell or jumped into the sea last month. The man, it was claimed by the South Korean authorities, was trying to defect to North Korea because of a failed marriage and heavy gambling debts. His family dispute this, and believe he fell overboard. Either way, the poor man was kept in the cold water by the North Koreans for six hours before they shot him, then poured fuel over the body and set it alight, while the South Koreans did nothing to intervene. Kim Jong-un offered an unprecedented apology for "the disgraceful affair", though it's fairly clear that the individuals responsible were obeying orders and indeed have been commended for their actions.
The affair rumbles on. From today's Chosun Ilbo:
The Korea Coast Guard on Thursday insisted that a South Korean fisheries official who was shot and killed by North Korean soldiers "panicked" over gambling debts and wanted to defect to the North.
The KCG, which has come under heavy criticism for doing nothing to save the official, at a press conference at its headquarters in Incheon on Thursday said the official "had been deeply involved in online gambling and had wired gambling money 591 times over the last 15 months."
The KCG also claimed it "confirmed that he took money from co-workers to buy them crab but instead wired it to a gambling account before he started his final shift." It said the official, identified as Lee, had borrowed W123 million since June last year to gamble with (US$1=W1,135)….
But the victim's older brother, Lee Rae-jin (55), told the Chosun Ilbo, "The KCG's briefing is based on fiction. How could investigators make such things up? They found nothing new so they're trying to put the focus of attention on the gambling debt."
Despite an extensive search, the body has not been recovered.
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