TAIPEI, Taiwan – A South Korean court has ruled that North Korea must compensate the family of a South Korean official who North Korean forces shot dead in 2020, a killing that inflamed both cross-border tension and anger towards the South Korean government.
South Korean fisheries official, Lee Dae-jun disappeared from his patrol vessel in the Yellow Sea, near the maritime border between North and South Korea in September 2020. North Korean forces later found him adrift in their waters, shot him and burned his body. Pyongyang said these actions were part of their COVID-19 prevention measures.
At that time, the South Korean government’s response faced domestic scrutiny. Critics accused the administration of being too passive, leading to political debate and legal action against the officials involved.
Lee’s family filed a lawsuit against North Korea in April 2022, demanding compensation of 100 million South Korean won (US$70,000) each for his son and daughter, citing severe psychological distress caused by their father’s death.
The Seoul Central District Court ruled on Thursday in favor of a bereaved family member, identified as Mr Lee, in a damages lawsuit against North Korea, ordering the defendant to pay 200 million South Korean won (US$140,000).
The lawsuit, filed by Lee’s relatives, named North Korea as the defendant, with the address listed as the “Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea.”
The court did not provide detailed reasons for the ruling but accepted the family’s claim that North Korea was responsible for Lee’s wrongful death.
The verdict is largely symbolic as North Korea is highly unlikely even to acknowledge the ruling let alone pay damages.
According to South Korean military intelligence, North Korean forces found Lee in their territorial waters on Sep. 22, 2020. He was interrogated but was later shot and killed under direct orders from North Korean authorities. His body was then burned, reportedly as a precautionary measure against COVID-19.
A few days later, in a rare admission of fault, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent an official letter to South Korea, expressing regret over the “unexpected” and “unfortunate” incident. The North acknowledged killing Lee but denied burning his body, saying only his floating belongings were set on fire.
The international community, including the United Nations, condemned the execution. The U.N.’s special rapporteur on North Korean human rights, Tomás Ojea Quintana, said that such acts were unacceptable and he urged accountability.
The group Human Rights Watch highlighted the North’s longstanding record of rights abuses, noting that it employs violence and fear to maintain control, including arbitrary detention, torture, and executions.
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In South Korea, the killing stirred criticism of the government.
Initially, South Korean authorities suggested that Lee had attempted to defect to North Korea, citing personal issues such as gambling debts. But that was met with public skepticism and criticism, as many believed the government was jumping to conclusions.
The notion of a possible defection was later dropped in the absence of any evidence, further fueling public distrust.
Critics accused the administration of then-President Moon Jae-in of attempting to play down the incident to preserve diplomatic relations with North Korea. That suspicion was exacerbated by the government’s initial reluctance to confront North Korea over the killing, leading to accusations of appeasement.
Officials in the Moon administration, including the then defense minister, Suh Wook, Coast Guard chief, Kim Hong-hee, and national security adviser, Suh Hoon, were arrested on charges related to the destruction of evidence in the case. They were accused of instructing officials to delete intelligence reports to conceal the circumstances of Lee’s death.
Prosecutors said Suh Wook erased intelligence reports suggesting that Lee did not intend to defect. Kim Hong-hee was accused of ordering the deletion of reports and distorting the results of an analysis of Lee’s suspected route to support the defection angle. Suh Hoon faced accusations of tampering with evidence and interfering with the investigation to suppress key details.
In December 2023, South Korea’s Board of Audit and Inspection, or BAI, concluded a yearlong investigation, finding that relevant government agencies under the Moon administration had neglected to act to save Lee and subsequently attempted to cover up the incident. The BAI requested disciplinary action against 13 individuals involved in illegal and unfair practices related to the case.
Edited by Mike Firn.