SEOUL-- The elder brother of a South Korean fisheries official killed by North Korea's military near the western sea border last year asked President Moon Jae-in on Thursday to punish all Coast Guard officials accused of portraying the deceased as a defector on his way to the North.

On Sept. 22, 2020, North Korea fatally shot the 47-year-old fisheries official, who was adrift on its side of the Yellow Sea, and burned his body, according to the South Korean military. He went missing the previous day while on duty near the western border island of Yeonpyeong.

At that time, the Coast Guard announced that the fisheries official appeared to be trying to defect to North Korea, apparently out of panic related to his habitual gambling and a debt of 100 million won (US$87,300), though the announcement was flatly denied by his bereaved family.

Earlier this week, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) concluded that the disclosure of the deceased official's debt and other personal information infringed upon the character and honor of the bereaved family and recommended that the chief of the Coast Guard and other relevant officials be given a warning.

Lee Rae-jin, the brother of the deceased official, held a news conference in front of the presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, to call for strong disciplinary measures and criminal punishments against all those responsible.

"Because it has been disclosed that the Coast Guard had conducted an inaccurate and false investigation to frame my brother as a defector, all those responsible must be punished criminally," the 56-year-old Lee said, asking Moon to immediately carry out investigations as well as punishments.

Rep. Ha Tae-kyung of the main opposition People Power Party, who attended Lee's news conference, argued that judging from the NHRCK's statement, the Coast Guard committed an honor killing of the fisheries official by fabricating facts to justify its speculation of his defection attempt.

Source: Yonhap News Agency