Kim Jong-un offers in a phone call the rare apologies for the killing of the South Korean official. As Blue Palace confirmed on Friday, Kim regrets that unexpected and unfortunate thing has happened in North Korean territorial waters, Korean Central News Agency reports.
Following the killing of a South Korean government official at sea by soldiers from the North, Kim Jong Un made a phone call to the Blue Palace and delivered a message to the South. That move became one of the rarest people could expect from Pyongyang, taking into account the current tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
“I am deeply sorry that an unexpected and unfortunate thing has happened in our territorial waters,” Kim said by telephone, officials in the South said.
Kim said he understands that unexpected death has delivered a big disappointment to President Moon Jae-in and the people of the South.
The tragic incident took place on Tuesday when the South Korean fisheries official went missing from his patrol vessel on Monday. He was shot and killed in North Korean waters on Tuesday while apparently trying to defect, according to officials in the South. The North Korean soldiers then poured oil on the man’s body and set it on fire for fear that he might be carrying the coronavirus, the officials said.
The South’s officials said the man had appeared to be trying to defect to the North because he wore a life jacket, but added that they were still investigating his motives.
President Moon condemned the killing of South Korean offical
The killing sent shock waves through South Korea President Moon and his government immediately condemned the killing, calling it “stunning” and “atrocious” and demanding that North Korea apologize.
With all official channels of communication with the North 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 contents of Mr Kim’s rare expression of contrition were disclosed to the news media by Suh Hoon, director of national security at Mr Moon’s presidential Blue House.
