[앵커]
Prosecutors investigating the case of North Korean defectors repatriated to North Korea today summoned Roh Young-min, former chief of staff to the President, to investigate.
He is the accused person, and he is the highest-ranking office in the Blue House of the Moon Jae-in government summoned by the prosecution after the investigation into this case.
Let’s connect with a reporter to hear more details. Reporter Lee Jong-won!
[기자]
Yes, this is the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.
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Did the former chief of staff Noh Young-min appear at the prosecution?
[기자]
It was known that he was scheduled to attend around 10 am today, but he has not yet been caught entering the prosecutor’s office.
However, there are also observations that the summons schedule was released before the attendance, so that former Director Roh postponed the attendance schedule itself.
Former Director Roh is the accused in relation to the case of forcible repatriation of North Korean defectors to North Korea.
Two North Korean defectors were forcibly repatriated to North Korea in November 2019.
It took only five days from being captured in the East Sea to being transported to North Korea.
The government explained at the time that although they expressed their intention to defect, they were found to have killed 16 fellow crew members and had no choice but to repatriate them to North Korea.
It was only to avoid punishment in the North, and I saw that the defector’s intention was not sincere.
However, the prosecution believes that it is illegal to forcibly send North Korean defectors to North Korea against their intention to defect as long as they are Korean citizens.
Before they were repatriated to North Korea, a countermeasures meeting was held at the Blue House presided over by then Chief of Staff Roh Young-min.
If a decision is made, it seems that former Director Roh, who is not a security expert, will ask why he made such a decision.
Former Chief of Staff Roh is the highest-ranking person in the Blue House under the Moon Jae-in government among those who have been summoned since the investigation began in July and August due to accusations against the National Intelligence Service and the people’s power.
On the 20th and 21st of last month, former Unification Minister Kim Yeon-cheol was investigated as a defendant for two days in a row.
With the investigation into the summons of former Chief of Staff Roh, the prosecution’s investigation targeting the Moon Jae-in administration’s Blue House also appears to be heading towards the apex.
Prosecutors are also expected to summon Eui-yong Chung, then Director of the National Security Office and former Director of the National Intelligence Service, Suh Hoon, who are likely to have led the decision-making along with Roh, in the near future.
Until now, this is Lee Jong-won of YTN at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.
YTN Lee Jong-won ([email protected])
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