UN Command was unaware repatriated North Koreans wanted to defect in 2019: Seoul



News UN Command was unaware repatriated North Koreans wanted to defect in 2019: Seoul Unification minister says UNC was caught off guard when one of two fisherman resisted handover at Panmunjom Chad O'Carroll \| Jeongmin Kim July 26, 2022 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON One of the two North Korean men repatriated via Panmunjom in 2019, with an apparent UNC staff observing the scene \| Image: Ministry of Unification The U.N. Command (UNC) did not know that two North Korean fishermen repatriated in Nov. 2019 had expressed their desire to defect when it allowed South Korean officials to access Panmunjom for the handover, Seoul’s unification minister said Tuesday. Kwon Young-se said the lack of prior notice meant UNC officials were caught off guard when one of the North Koreans resisted repatriation at the border, a moment captured in photos and video released earlier this month. The U.N. Command (UNC) did not know that two North Korean fishermen repatriated in Nov. 2019 had expressed their desire to defect when it allowed South Korean officials to access Panmunjom for the handover, Seoul’s unification minister said Tuesday. Kwon Young-se said the lack of prior notice meant UNC officials were caught off guard when one of the North Koreans resisted repatriation at the border, a moment captured in photos and video released earlier this month. Become a member for less than $5.75 per week. Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

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UN Command was unaware repatriated North Koreans wanted to defect in 2019: Seoul

Unification minister says UNC was caught off guard when one of two fisherman resisted handover at Panmunjom

Chad O'Carroll | Jeongmin Kim July 26, 2022

UN Command was unaware repatriated North Koreans wanted to defect in 2019: Seoul

One of the two North Korean men repatriated via Panmunjom in 2019, with an apparent UNC staff observing the scene | Image: Ministry of Unification

The U.N. Command (UNC) did not know that two North Korean fishermen repatriated in Nov. 2019 had expressed their desire to defect when it allowed South Korean officials to access Panmunjom for the handover, Seoul’s unification minister said Tuesday.

Kwon Young-se said the lack of prior notice meant UNC officials were caught off guard when one of the North Koreans resisted repatriation at the border, a moment captured in photos and video released earlier this month.

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