'Forced Repatriation of North Korean Fishermen': Moon Administration's Diplomatic and Security Officials Given Suspended Sentences on Appeal

Former Blue House Chief of Staff Noh Young-min Acquitted

Chung Eui-yong, former director of the National Security Office; Suh Hoon, former director of the National Intelligence Service; and Kim Yeon-cheol, former unification minister, were each given prison sentences suspended on appeal in the case involving the forced repatriation of North Korean fishermen who had defected to South Korea.

A photo taken at Panmunjom in November 2019, when the Ministry of Unification repatriated two North Korean fishermen to North Korea. Yonhap News Agency.

On October 21, the Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 15-3, comprising Presiding Judge Seong Eon-ju and Judges Won Ik-seon and Lee Hee-jun, sentenced Chung and Suh to 1 year and 6 months in prison, suspended for 3 years, on charges including abuse of authority under the National Intelligence Service Act. Kim was sentenced to 1 year in prison, suspended for 2 years.

The court, however, acquitted Noh Young-min, former presidential chief of staff, saying it was difficult to conclude that he had conspired in the abuse of authority or been involved in the decision to repatriate the fishermen.

As in the first trial, the court recognized North Korean residents as citizens of the Republic of Korea and ruled that the fishermen’s fundamental rights had been violated by their forced repatriation. The court said, “Despite the opinion of relevant public officials that careful consideration was needed because there was no legal basis, the decision to repatriate them to North Korea was made just two days after they were captured and carried out just five days later,” adding that it “caused even North Korean defectors who had settled in South Korea to live in fear of forced repatriation.”

Chung and the others were accused of ordering the forced repatriation to North Korea of two fishermen who had expressed their intention to defect to South Korea in November 2019, after they were accused of murdering 16 fellow crew members. They were also charged with preventing the fishermen from exercising their right to stand trial under South Korean laws and procedures.

In the first trial, the court deferred sentencing Chung and Suh to 10 months in prison each, and Noh and Kim to 6 months in prison each. A deferred sentence is a ruling that finds a defendant guilty but postpones sentencing when the crime is considered minor.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.