I would like to point out a few things with reporter Jeong-yoon Jeong, who is covering this issue. Looking at the video, it looks like you are refusing extradition?
[기자]
Let’s talk a little bit more by watching the video.
I see North Korean defectors sitting down while walking under the guidance of the staff.
There are also behaviors such as sitting down like this and committing suicide.
It looks like they are resisting extradition.
[앵커]
Then, by looking at this video, can you judge that Gwi-sun’s intention was clear?
[기자]
First of all, the video shows resistance, but it seems difficult to conclude the complicated repatriation issue from that video alone.
The Moon Jae-in government has argued that the intention of defecting North Korean fishermen has changed.
He also explained that the circumstances in which he committed a serious crime in North Korea and fled on the pretext of defection also confirmed military special information.
[앵커]
It’s like sleeping. It cannot be judged clearly. What is the reason why the Ministry of Unification released the video after the photo?
[기자]
First of all, the Ministry of Unification is very active in this matter.
On the 12th, 10 photos were released.
After that, yesterday (17th), the Ministry of Unification publicly announced that it was reviewing the law whether to disclose it because there was a video in the press group.
[앵커]
It was foretold in advance.
[기자]
That’s right. And yesterday, on the same day, Choi Young-beom, chief of public relations at the presidential office, suddenly began to strongly criticize former government officials.
And then, the very next day, today, the Ministry of Unification released the video.
This morning, I also interviewed with the Ministry of Unification officials, and until this morning, they said that they did not know when the decision could be made or when the legal review would be finished.
[앵커]
If you think about it from the audience’s point of view, there are parts that are not quite clear. What is it, you have this video, but why are you only revealing it now?
[기자]
you’re right. Journalists also asked a lot of questions about this.
In fact, even during the Moon Jae-in administration, there were several requests for the release of photos or videos from the opposition at the time.
However, the Ministry of Unification did not always accept the request for security reasons.
He explained that he had identified the existence of the video this time, but also said that the employee who took the video shared the video with a small number of officials inside the Ministry of Unification.
In addition, he said that the video itself was not the cell phone of the employee who filmed it, that is, it had already been deleted from the cell phone and moved this video to the office PC of the Ministry of Unification.
Nevertheless, there seems to be a contradiction in this explanation because the Ministry of Unification explained that it did not recognize the video itself.
Therefore, when the government changed, the Ministry of Unification made it public.
[앵커]
okay. There’s an investigation going on. Investigations should be fair and objective, but I wonder if the release of this video might have any impact.
[기자]
First, the Ministry of Unification announced that it would provide the video if the prosecution requested it and that it would cooperate with the investigation.
However, he did not give a proper answer as to how this video would affect the investigation.
In relation to this case, President Yoon Seok-yeol said in the morning, “It must be proceeded according to the Constitution and the law.”
Some are explaining that the emphasis on ‘the Constitution and the Law’ refers to Article 3 of the Constitution.
Article 3 of the Constitution stipulates that ‘the territory of the Republic of Korea shall be the Korean Peninsula and its annexed islands’.
This means that North Koreans are also considered South Koreans.
Therefore, some have pointed out that even such a principled statement can be a guideline for investigation.