generalspeaking

South Korean President Moon Jae-in has launched an intensive effort in diplomacy to persuade North Korea to reject ongoing hostilities between the divided Koreas in the interests of improving relations and hoping that the process would eventually lead to denuclearization and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula. The 1950-55 ideological war between the two ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. Ever since, relations have been strained, with threats and belligerence crossing the border between the two, and the occasional act of violent destruction meted out by North Korea on South Korea.

 

On Monday, a South Korean fisheries official disappeared off a patrol boat. Intelligence led to the conclusion that he was picked up from the sea by North Korean troops, interrogated, then executed. The impression was left that the man had attempted to defect to the North, a highly unusual step for any South Korean to take; defections are common, but indisputably from North to South. The 47-year-old, it was suggested, was heavily in debt, and sought to escape his debt load by defecting.

He was dressed with a lifejacket and holding onto a floating object, found a day after his disappearance by a North Korean military group north of the disputed maritime boundary, roughly 40 km from where he left the fisheries vessel. He was questioned, following which he was executed on an "order from a superior authority". His body was then covered in an accelerant and burned. As an infection-control measure, the North explained.

So although the South Korean intelligence report on the matter describes a North Korean patrol boat discovering the man wearing a life jacket at sea on Tuesday whereupon the North Korean patrol party put on gas masks and questioned him from a distance, they then responded to "orders from [a] superior authority" to kill him. This was accomplished by shooting him dead in the water. It remains unclear whether he had identified himself and explained why he was found where he was, but North Korean troops then burned his corpse at sea.

Not however, according to the North's account, where, though they had most unfortunately for the defector, if that is what he was -- the troops responded to their order by shooting the man, it was the flotation device he carried that was then doused in gasoline and set afire, not the man himself. A puzzling scenario; leaving the man and his life jacket intact, but burning the flotation device he carried with him for additional bouyancy.

No matter, the North's leader attests to feelings of profound regret at this egregious error in judgement. The rarity of this conciliatory response seems entirely out of character from the bombastic belligerence that usually is associated with the irascible and volatile Mr.Kim. But, as is explained the incident occurred at a time when both President Moon and Chairman Kim have been getting along rather famously in their friendly diplomatic re-engagement talks presumably leading inevitably to peace.

People watch a TV showing a file image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Sept. 25, 2020. North Korean leader Kim apologized Friday over the killing of a South Korea official near the rivals’ disputed sea boundary, saying he’s “very sorry” about the incident he called unexpected and unfortunate, South Korean officials said. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

The hope was further expressed that the incident would not undermine recent moves to foster trust between the two and Mr. Suh spoke of letters exchanged between President Moon and Chairman Kim where Moon praised Kim's "strong resolve to save lives" and manage anti-virus and flood recovery operations. A following September letter saw Kim expressing the belief that Moon would win the battle against the coronavirus and "good things" would result.

As for the unfortunate death of a most unfortunate man, it was truly regrettable, and truly "unpardonable" as President Moon put it. But his critics hold him responsible for failing a citizen's life and being too forgiving of North Korea. Over ten shots were fired by the North's soldiers at the man when he attempted to flee, admitted Mr. Suh. But the North did not burn his body, only a flotation device, in line with anti-virus protocols.

That the man was murdered is undeniable. That it was an event quite in accord with the manner in which North Korea frequently treats their southern counterparts is also par for the course. What is different and which may signal a sea change in the diplomatic-political atmosphere is Chairman Kim's admission and his apparently sincere regrets and promises that such an event would never again occur. That is something worth building on.