This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/25/world/asia/korea-kim-jong-un-apology-killing-defector.html
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Kim Jong-un Offers South Korea Rare Apology for Killing of Official | Kim Jong-un Offers South Korea Rare Apology for Killing of Official |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, offered a rare apology on Friday for the killing of a South Korean government official at sea by soldiers from the North, South Korea said. | SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, offered a rare apology on Friday for the killing of a South Korean government official at sea by soldiers from the North, South Korea said. |
| “I am deeply sorry that an unexpected and unfortunate thing has happened in our territorial waters that delivered a big disappointment to President Moon Jae-in and the people of the South,” Mr. Kim was quoted as saying in a message his government sent to the South on Friday. | “I am deeply sorry that an unexpected and unfortunate thing has happened in our territorial waters that delivered a big disappointment to President Moon Jae-in and the people of the South,” Mr. Kim was quoted as saying in a message his government sent to the South on Friday. |
| Mr. Kim’s prompt apology to the South, the first issued in his name since he took power nearly a decade ago, appeared to have headed off what could have been another serious crisis in relations between the Koreas. South Koreans across the political spectrum had expressed outrage since Mr. Moon’s government announced the official’s killing on Thursday. | Mr. Kim’s prompt apology to the South, the first issued in his name since he took power nearly a decade ago, appeared to have headed off what could have been another serious crisis in relations between the Koreas. South Koreans across the political spectrum had expressed outrage since Mr. Moon’s government announced the official’s killing on Thursday. |
| On Friday, some officials and analysts in the South expressed hope that Mr. Kim’s contrition could even help to revive dialogue between the Koreas, which has been stalled for months. | On Friday, some officials and analysts in the South expressed hope that Mr. Kim’s contrition could even help to revive dialogue between the Koreas, which has been stalled for months. |
| The official, whose name has not been released by the South but who worked for the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, went missing from his patrol vessel on Monday. He was shot and killed in North Korean waters on Tuesday, apparently while trying to defect, according to officials in the South. | The official, whose name has not been released by the South but who worked for the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, went missing from his patrol vessel on Monday. He was shot and killed in North Korean waters on Tuesday, apparently while trying to defect, according to officials in the South. |
| North Korean soldiers then poured oil on the man’s body and set it on fire for fear that he might have had the coronavirus, the officials said — details that the North disputed in its statement on Friday. The statement was sent by the United Front Department, a North Korean government agency in charge of inter-Korean relations. | North Korean soldiers then poured oil on the man’s body and set it on fire for fear that he might have had the coronavirus, the officials said — details that the North disputed in its statement on Friday. The statement was sent by the United Front Department, a North Korean government agency in charge of inter-Korean relations. |
| The South Korean officials said the man had apparently been trying to defect to the North, citing the fact that he had left his shoes on the boat and entered the water wearing a life jacket. But they added that they were still investigating his motives. | |
| The killing sent shock waves through South Korea. Mr. Moon and his government called it “stunning” and “atrocious” and demanded that North Korea apologize. | The killing sent shock waves through South Korea. Mr. Moon and his government called it “stunning” and “atrocious” and demanded that North Korea apologize. |
| With all official channels of communication with the North having been cut off since June, South Korea sent a message through a cross-border telephone hotline between North Korea and the United Nations Command, demanding that the North explain why it had killed a South Korean citizen. | With all official channels of communication with the North having been cut off since June, South Korea sent a message through a cross-border telephone hotline between North Korea and the United Nations Command, demanding that the North explain why it had killed a South Korean citizen. |
| The text of the North’s message on Friday, which contained Mr. Kim’s apology, was disclosed to the news media by Suh Hoon, the director of national security at Mr. Moon’s presidential Blue House. Mr. Suh did not specify how the message was delivered; his original statement used wording that could mean it had been a telephone message, but presidential aides later clarified that it was not. North Korean state media had yet to report on the message as of Friday evening. | The text of the North’s message on Friday, which contained Mr. Kim’s apology, was disclosed to the news media by Suh Hoon, the director of national security at Mr. Moon’s presidential Blue House. Mr. Suh did not specify how the message was delivered; his original statement used wording that could mean it had been a telephone message, but presidential aides later clarified that it was not. North Korean state media had yet to report on the message as of Friday evening. |
| In the message, North Korea denied that its soldiers had burned the body of the South Korean official, and it offered an account that differed from the South’s in other key details. | In the message, North Korea denied that its soldiers had burned the body of the South Korean official, and it offered an account that differed from the South’s in other key details. |
| When the crew of a North Korean ship found the official adrift on Tuesday, they approached and asked him to identify himself, according to the North’s account. The man said only that he was from the South, and when he refused to answer further questions, the North Korean ship moved closer, firing two warning shots, the North said. | When the crew of a North Korean ship found the official adrift on Tuesday, they approached and asked him to identify himself, according to the North’s account. The man said only that he was from the South, and when he refused to answer further questions, the North Korean ship moved closer, firing two warning shots, the North said. |
| Then the man ducked in surprise and appeared to try to escape, the North said. | Then the man ducked in surprise and appeared to try to escape, the North said. |
| “Our soldiers fired about 10 shots at the illegal intruder, based on a decision made by our ship’s captain and according to operational guidelines of maritime security,” the North’s message read. When the shooting took place, the ship was 44 to 55 yards from the man, it read. | “Our soldiers fired about 10 shots at the illegal intruder, based on a decision made by our ship’s captain and according to operational guidelines of maritime security,” the North’s message read. When the shooting took place, the ship was 44 to 55 yards from the man, it read. |
| The North Korean crew later found a flotation device that the man had been using, which had a great deal of blood on it, but not the man himself, according to the message. | The North Korean crew later found a flotation device that the man had been using, which had a great deal of blood on it, but not the man himself, according to the message. |
| “Our military concluded that the illegal intruder was shot and killed, and burned his floatable device according to our epidemiological regulations,” it said. | “Our military concluded that the illegal intruder was shot and killed, and burned his floatable device according to our epidemiological regulations,” it said. |
| South Korean officials had said Thursday that they believed the man had been killed because of the North’s fear of the coronavirus. North Korea has kept its borders closed since January because of the pandemic. This month, Gen. Robert B. Abrams, commander of the United States military in South Korea, said the North had deployed troops along its border with China with shoot-to-kill orders, to keep smugglers from bringing in the coronavirus. | South Korean officials had said Thursday that they believed the man had been killed because of the North’s fear of the coronavirus. North Korea has kept its borders closed since January because of the pandemic. This month, Gen. Robert B. Abrams, commander of the United States military in South Korea, said the North had deployed troops along its border with China with shoot-to-kill orders, to keep smugglers from bringing in the coronavirus. |
| It is very rare, though not unprecedented, for North Korea’s leadership to publicly apologize to the South. | It is very rare, though not unprecedented, for North Korea’s leadership to publicly apologize to the South. |
| In 1996, the North expressed “deep regret” after a bloody episode that began when a small North Korean submarine ran aground with engine trouble on the South’s eastern coast. Twenty-six crewmen and armed agents spilled out of it, triggering a 50-day manhunt that ended in the deaths of 24 North Koreans and 15 South Korean soldiers and civilians. | In 1996, the North expressed “deep regret” after a bloody episode that began when a small North Korean submarine ran aground with engine trouble on the South’s eastern coast. Twenty-six crewmen and armed agents spilled out of it, triggering a 50-day manhunt that ended in the deaths of 24 North Koreans and 15 South Korean soldiers and civilians. |
| In 2002, a senior North Korean negotiator expressed regret to his South Korean counterpart after a naval skirmish between the Koreas. | In 2002, a senior North Korean negotiator expressed regret to his South Korean counterpart after a naval skirmish between the Koreas. |
| “The statement attributed to Kim Jong-un is a low-cost way of managing a potential crisis situation,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. “Kim’s apparent move may also mitigate the deepening of North Korea’s pariah status in South Korean public opinion, allowing the Moon government to continue its engagement efforts that offer various carrots to Pyongyang.” | “The statement attributed to Kim Jong-un is a low-cost way of managing a potential crisis situation,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. “Kim’s apparent move may also mitigate the deepening of North Korea’s pariah status in South Korean public opinion, allowing the Moon government to continue its engagement efforts that offer various carrots to Pyongyang.” |
| The North justified the official’s killing in its Friday statement, calling it a legal but unfortunate response to an “illegal intruder.” It criticized South Korea for having accused the North of an act against humanity. | The North justified the official’s killing in its Friday statement, calling it a legal but unfortunate response to an “illegal intruder.” It criticized South Korea for having accused the North of an act against humanity. |
| But it also promised to take measures to prevent similar incidents, which it said could damage the “trust and respect” the two Koreas had built under Mr. Kim and Mr. Moon. | But it also promised to take measures to prevent similar incidents, which it said could damage the “trust and respect” the two Koreas had built under Mr. Kim and Mr. Moon. |
| The two leaders have met four times since 2018, creating a rare period of détente on the Korean Peninsula. But relations soured after Mr. Kim’s second summit meeting with President Trump, held in Vietnam in February 2019, collapsed with no agreement. The North started blaming Mr. Moon, who had tried to broker the dialogue between Mr. Kim and Mr. Trump; in a display of anger in June, the North blew up a liaison office run jointly by the two governments. | |
| Mr. Suh said the South hoped that Mr. Kim’s apology would give an impetus to Mr. Moon’s efforts to revive dialogue with the North. He revealed on Friday that the leaders had exchanged letters earlier this month, in which Mr. Kim said he hoped for better relations. | Mr. Suh said the South hoped that Mr. Kim’s apology would give an impetus to Mr. Moon’s efforts to revive dialogue with the North. He revealed on Friday that the leaders had exchanged letters earlier this month, in which Mr. Kim said he hoped for better relations. |
| The wording of the North’s message on Friday was carefully crafted to avoid legal responsibility while assuaging South Koreans’ anger, said Lee Byong-chul, a North Korea expert at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University in Seoul. | The wording of the North’s message on Friday was carefully crafted to avoid legal responsibility while assuaging South Koreans’ anger, said Lee Byong-chul, a North Korea expert at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University in Seoul. |
| But he said the South would seize the opportunity to offer a renewal of dialogue, and that Mr. Kim might agree, in hopes of winning badly needed help in the North’s struggle to cope with the threat of Covid-19, damage from recent floods and the economic pain from international sanctions over its nuclear program. | But he said the South would seize the opportunity to offer a renewal of dialogue, and that Mr. Kim might agree, in hopes of winning badly needed help in the North’s struggle to cope with the threat of Covid-19, damage from recent floods and the economic pain from international sanctions over its nuclear program. |
| “The chain of events could lead to a turning point in inter-Korean relations,” Mr. Lee said. | “The chain of events could lead to a turning point in inter-Korean relations,” Mr. Lee said. |