South Korea court finds former officials guilty of forcible return of N.Koreans

19/2/2025 16:51

A South Korean court found four former government officials guilty on Wednesday of forcibly repatriating two North Korean fishermen in 2019, despite their intention to defect, in a case that provoked criticism from global human rights activists.



At the time they were deported, the government of former President Moon Jae-in called the fishermen "dangerous criminals" who had killed 16 colleagues in a fight over an abusive captain on their ship before crossing the sea border.



The Seoul Central District Court suspended sentencing for the four, who had held office under Moon, and had all denied wrongdoing.



They were former National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, former presidential chief of staff Noh Young-min, former National Intelligence Service chief Suh Hoon and former Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul.



South Korea hands down suspended sentences for crimes seen as relatively minor that are not viewed as convictions in the traditional sense, but figure in the criminal record.