A few days ago Joshua discussed the report of 22 North Koreans executed after having drifted into South Korean waters in two rubber dinghies and being returned to the DPRK. Thirteen of those rumored to have been executed were family members.

According to ROK National Intelligence Service (NIS) official, the group was fishing and, “strongly demanded they must be sent back home.” The NIS official further claimed that, “they went to sea to collect clams and oysters without authorization from the North Korean maritime agency.”

The facts and circumstances make the NIS version of events seem a bit fishy. An investigation is underway and hopefully will shed light on how the North Koreans were asked if they wanted to defect:

North Korean refugees, with their experience of living under repression in the communist country, never say they are defecting unless they are questioned individually because there may be at least one person in their group who wishes to return to the North and may become an informer.

If they were asked as a group, the interrogators basically ensured they’d answer no; if any answered yes for the rest to hear and somehow they were all sent back to North Korea, that person would have been guaranteed being sent to a concentration camp or executed. This is - or should be - absolute basic knowledge to anyone dealing with potential North Korean defectors.

At best this may be a case of ROK negligence and incompetence, but at worst it could be intentionally denying 22 people – ROK citizens, according to the South Korean constitution – the right to come to South Korea, and sending them back to their deaths.