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Son of slain fisheries official files damages suit against Coast Guard, calls for apology

SEOUL– The son of a South Korean fisheries official killed by North Korea’s military last year filed a damages suit against the country’s Coast Guard on Thursday, demanding an apology for defaming the deceased’s family.

On Sept. 22, 2020, North Korean soldiers fatally shot the 47-year-old man, who was floating in North Korean waters in the Yellow Sea, and burned his body, according to Seoul’s military. He went missing the previous day while on duty near the western border island of Yeonpyeong.

At the time, the Coast Guard announced that the deceased appeared to be trying to defect to North Korea, apparently out of panic related to his debt from habitual gambling, though his bereaved family strongly denied the account.

The official’s son, surnamed Lee, asked the court to order Coast Guard Commissioner Kim Hong-hee and other related officials to pay 20,200,922 won (US$17,711) in compensation to the family for violating their human rights in the course of publicizing the investigation results.

“Hopefully, the Coast Guard officials could be able to fathom what the bereaved family has been going through, when they look at the reparations sought by the family,” Kim Ki-yun, Lee’s attorney, said during a press conference at the Seoul Central District Court. The sum of money matches the date of the late official’s death.

The family took the legal action to receive an apology from the Coast Guard, the attorney said, adding that it is willing to drop the case when it is offered an apology. If not, it plans to donate the compensated money if and when it wins the case.

“I want a public apology from the Coast Guard because they openly disgraced (my husband and my family’s) honor and infringed on our basic rights,” Lee’s mother said. Lee was absent from the press conference as he is a minor.

Last week, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea recommended the Coast Guard Commissioner discipline officials who were in charge of handling the case, saying that the disclosure of the late official’s personal details and financial situation constituted libel and breach of human rights.

The Coast Guard hasn’t offered an apology since the watchdog’s decision came out, according to the family.

Source: Yonhap News Agency