Ex-South Korean official arrested over case of a man slain by North Korea

3/12/2022 18:14

        A former South Korean national security advisor was arrested on Saturday over his suspected manipulation of a 2020 case where a fisheries official was killed at sea by North Korean troops.
        
        The murder case has sparked controversy as the family of the official, Lee Dae-jun, refuted claims by the administration of former President Moon Jae-in that he sought to defect to the North due to gambling debts, mental health issues and an unhappy life.
        
        The incumbent President Yoon Suk-yeol's government has reversed that interpretation, saying there was no evidence of a defection attempt. Prosecutors also launched an investigation into Lee's death and a 2019 case in which two North Korean fishermen were deported to the isolated country against their will.
        
        Moon's then national security advisor, Suh Hoon, faces allegations that he had ordered intelligence reports to be deleted to conceal Lee's killing and manipulated evidence to support the defection claim.
        
        The Seoul Central District Court, following a 19-hour deliberation, granted an arrest warrant for Suh on Saturday, citing "the gravity of the issue, the status of the suspect, and the risk of evidence destruction."