The 2020 death of a South Korean fisheries official was later covered up by government officials, leading to a court case and public ire – Photo: Shin Jun-hee/Yonhap via AP

A South Korean court will convene today for the second time on the 2020 death of a former fisheries official.

Former top national security and intelligence officials denied malpractice in the September 2020 death of a former South Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official in North Korean waters in the preliminary hearing held last week. The official had been reported missing while on duty on a patrol boat about 20 kilometres off the coast of North Korea’s western shores and was later shot dead at sea by North Korean officials, who also allegedly burned the corpse.

Among those accused are former National Security Advisor Suh Hoon and the Director of the National Intelligence Service Park Jie-won, who denied attempting to cover up the case. Records related to the incident were classified as presidential records when former President Moon Jae-in left office, and by law must be kept confidential for at least 15 years.

The case has been highly politicized with accusations against the former left-wing government centered around former President Moon’s North Korea policy of appeasement, with only former top intelligence officials under scrutiny. The use of highly confidential information related to national security may also impede progress at the trial.