Unification ministry releases footage of 2019 repatriation of N. Korean fishermen

Jul 19, 2022, 07:54 am

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The photo shows a North Korean fisherman resisting as he is handed over to North Korean authorities in the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom in November 2019./ Source: The Ministry of Unification

AsiaToday reporters Lee Seok-jong & Lee Wook-jae

As the old and new powers clash over the “2019 repatriation of two North Korean fishermen”, the debate between the rival blocs is also heating up. President Yoon Suk-yeol stressed Monday that the related investigation should be carried out “as per the Constitution and the laws”, however the controversy is expected to intensify as the Unification Ministry released video recordings of the repatriation.

Yoon’s response was made on his way to the presidential office in Yongsan. When asked about the controversial photo of the repatriation and the ongoing investigation of the prosecution and National Intelligence Service, he made the remarks without making further comments, an apparent move to change his communication style with the media amid lingering controversies.

However, the unification ministry released the footage filmed at the truce village of Panmunjom, intensifying the controversy. The footage showed one of the fishermen physically resisting being pulled across the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) at Panmunjom as he was handed over to North Korean authorities. He dropped his knees and crawled to the side, suggesting that he had attempted to his head on the ground. The two fishermen were spotted taking a step backwards before being repatriated.

The footage is expected to draw fierce backlash from the opposition bloc and offensive from the ruling party. Woo Sang-ho, interim leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), strongly protested, saying, “The purpose is to stimulate public sentiment with provocative scenes. I wonder whether the unification ministry is in charge of such things.” Woo also criticized the Yoon Suk-yeol government’s personnel appointment controversy, calling for a state investigation.

On the other hand, the ruling People Power Party (PPP) criticized the former Moon Jae-in government criticizing the repatriation as a crime against humanity. “The basic rights of the North Korean fishermen in the footage were not guaranteed as citizens of the Republic of Korea. Both tied up and blindfolded, they were being pushed like prisoners heading to the prison,” said PPP senior spokesperson Heo Eun-ah. “It was a moment of historical tragedy when Panmunjom, a symbol of inter-Korean peace and cooperation, turned into a place of human rights violation of North Korean defectors.”

On Sunday, former Foreign Minister and National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong defended the previous administration’s 2019 repatriation, portraying the North Koreans as “rare, grotesque killers.” Chung claimed that the North Koreans had no intentions to defect. In response, the office of Yoon Suk-yeol struck back at Chung. “The point in this case is that the North Korean defector fishermen were sent back to the field of death when they had to be dealt with in accordance with our law,” said Choi Young-bum, senior presidential secretary for press affairs.

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