In 2019, two North Korean fishermen confessed to killing 16 shipmates and fleeing to South Korea, but were unexpectedly sent back by the government, triggering a political scandal. Four senior officials from the previous administration faced criminal charges for this decision. Recently, a Seoul court found them guilty of abusing power but suspended their sentences. This incident highlights South Korea's stark political divide over how to approach North Korea, particularly after the conservative government took a more hard-line stance compared to the previous progressive one.
The criminal charges the four faced were the first of their kind in South Korea and reflect the polarization between the country's two main political parties when it comes to dealing with its decades-old foe North Korea.
A three-judge panel found the four national security aides guilty of abusing their official power when they sent the fleeing North Korean fishermen back, issuing suspended sentences.
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