On Thursday, Seoul disclosed that a South Korean government worker was shot and killed by North Korean forces after crossing a maritime border into the region. According to Lt. Gen. Ahn Young-ho, a top official in South Korea, the man went missing in waters roughly 1.9 kilometers south of the Yeonpyeong Islands on September 21. The man was an employee of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. The man was reportedly on a piece of flotsam large enough to support just one person, was sporting a life jacket, and was exhausted from the presumed sinking.
The South Korean was likely in the process of defecting to North Korea, according to the Defense Ministry official. A member of the North Korean vessel listened to the man’s testimony while allegedly wearing a gas mask. Later into the incident, a North Korean patrol vessel opened fire on the man, who was killed. A soldier in a gas mask and hazard suit then approached the body and burned it. South Korea stated that it strongly condemns the atrocities, calling on Pyongyang to provide an explanation.
Read More: South Korea official shot dead by North Korean troops after crossing border
