The article was originally published by Dailian and translated by OKN Correspondent.
Public outrage arose as the Coast Guard overturned the interim investigation results on the death of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official two years ago. The Coast Guard said it found no evidence that the fisheries official was attempting to defect to North Korea. The official who disappeared near the coastline of Yeonpyeong Island, in the northern part of the West Sea, died after being shot by the North Korean military in September 2020. Anger and criticism against the Moon Jae-in administration’s lax attitude toward North Korea are increasing among the generation 2030. Many voices are calling for the immediate release of related documents that were transferred as presidential records after former President Moon Jae-in’s term ended.
University student Kim (25) said, “a public official of our country was adrift on a boat for several hours in the sea and drifted to the enemy country, North Korea. Although the Moon administration was aware of that fact, it did not save the citizen but turned the case into an escape to North Korea.” She expressed her rage, saying, “Was it not because the president did not want to argue with North Korea? His motto ‘people first’ was meant to be ‘North Korean people first.’”
An office worker Jeong (36), said, “now a thorough investigation must be conducted as the president did not say a word to the death of a public official in the fire but defined the case as an escape to North Korea without any evidence.” He added, “former President Moon had no will to protect the constitution (or) to protect the people’s lives. It deserved impeachment. He stood on North Korea’s side for five years without any comfort for the bereaved family or anger toward North Korea’s crime, and now he wants to live as a forgotten president. That is a crime of taking sides with the enemy.”
Lee (28), who is currently looking for a job, said, “the son of the murdered official gave up on his dream of going to the military academy and becoming a soldier because his family was a “defector’s family.” He was hurt even more because his father’s death while doing his duty was stigmatized as an escape to North Korea due to his debts.”
“I don’t know why former President Moon Jae-in was so intimidated by North Korea. Regardless of the political orientation, our country justified North Korea’s murder of our citizen on North Korea’s behalf. We have to hold the relevant parties responsible until the end,” he urged.
Jang (40), who lives in Mapo, Seoul, claimed, “the incident is no different from the spy manipulation incident carried out by the dictatorship in the past, and Kim Jong-un was the true king of this country.” Jang continued, “it has been revealed again that former President Moon was nothing more than a servant of Kim Jong-un. I cannot believe how he thought that the manipulation would not be revealed to the world we live in now.”
“It has been confirmed again that the boss of the leftists from the Democratic Party was North Korea’s Kim family,” Jang stated.
There is also a great demand for the release of presidential records containing the substantive truth of the incident. Currently, the key documents held by the Blue House under the Moon Jae-in administration are sealed as presidential records for 15 years before being released. The National Assembly requires the consent of at least two-thirds of the members to peruse the documents. Park (30), an office worker, said, “the bereaved family filed a claim for information disclosure, but the Moon administration interfered and appealed. Now the family cannot even receive an apology from North Korea.”
“Everything will be solved if you disclose the presidential records rather than complaining about receiving criticism. If you are really honest, why don’t you disclose them?” he questioned.
