Seoul: Prosecutors said Friday that they will appeal a court ruling that acquitted former top security officials for their involvement in the alleged cover-up of a border killing by North Korea. Last week, former top security officials from former President Moon Jae-in's administration were acquitted on charges of involvement in the alleged cover-up of the 2020 murder of a South Korean fisheries official by North Korea.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Seoul Central District Court found former National Security Adviser Suh Hoon, former National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Park Jie-won, and former Defense Minister Suh-wook not guilty for allegedly trying to cover up the 2020 murder, citing lack of evidence. Former Coast Guard Commissioner General Kim Hong-hee and former NIS chief secretary Noh Eun-chae were also acquitted.

The prosecutors announced their intention to appeal the acquitted charges against Suh Hoon and Kim Hong-hee, but they have decided to drop appeals against Park Jie-won. The case originates from the incident on September 22, 2020, when the fisheries official, Lee Dae-jun, was fatally shot by North Korean soldiers near the de facto maritime border in the Yellow Sea. This occurred a day after he went missing while on board a fishery inspection ship. His body was subsequently burned by the North.

In 2019, the Moon Jae-in government faced criticism for sending back two North Korean fishermen captured near the eastern sea border despite their wish to defect to South Korea. The forced repatriation occurred after the fishermen confessed to killing 16 fellow crew members.