Prosecution not to appeal partial acquittal of ex-officials in 2019 deportation of N. Koreans

Prosecutors on Wednesday decided not to appeal the Seoul High Court’s partial acquittals of three former officials over the 2019 deportation of two North Korean fishermen. The court had upheld guilty verdicts against Chung Eui-yong, Suh Hoon and Kim Yeon-chul, while acquitting them of preparing false public documents. Prosecutors said they would appeal the acquittal of former presidential chief of staff Noh Young-min. The fishermen were deported to North Korea after being captured near the eastern maritime border and accused of killing 16 crew members.

The Seoul High Prosecutors Office said it judged there was a low possibility of overturning the acquittals on the false-public-documents charges.

The appellate court upheld the lower court’s acquittal of Noh, who had earlier been convicted over his involvement in the case.

Chung was a former national security adviser, Suh was a former National Intelligence Service director, and Kim was a former Unification Minister.

All four officials served in former President Moon Jae-in’s administration in November 2019, when the fishermen were sent back to North Korea.

Published Oct 28, 2026 9:00 pm KST

This composite photo shows, from left to right, Chung Eui-yong, former national security adviser; former National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon; former presidential chief of staff Noh Young-min; and former Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul attending a hearing at the Seoul High Court in southern Seoul, Oct. 21. Yonhap

Prosecutors on Wednesday decided not to appeal the partial acquittals of three former government officials on charges related to the forced repatriation of two North Korean fishermen in 2019.

Earlier this month, the Seoul High Court upheld a lower court's guilty verdicts for Chung Eui-yong, former national security adviser; former National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon; and former Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul. It also upheld the acquittal of former presidential chief of staff Noh Young-min, who had earlier been convicted over his involvement in the case.

The appellate court acquitted Chung, Suh and Kim of charges of preparing false public documents.

The Seoul High Prosecutors Office said it would not appeal the partial acquittals.

The prosecution said it made the decision based on the judgment that there is a low possibility of those acquittals being overturned.

However, it will appeal Noh's acquittal.

All four served in former President Moon Jae-in's administration in November 2019, when Seoul deported two North Korean fishermen back to North Korea after they were captured near the eastern maritime border. The fishermen had been accused of killing 16 crew members.

周三，检方决定不对首尔高等法院对三名前官员的部分无罪判决提出上诉。这三人涉嫌参与2019年两名朝鲜渔民被驱逐出境一案。法院维持了对郑义溶、徐勋和金延哲的有罪判决，但宣告他们伪造公文罪名不成立。检方表示将对前总统办公厅主任卢英民的无罪判决提出上诉。这两名渔民在东部海域边界附近被捕，并被指控杀害了16名船员，随后被驱逐回朝鲜。

首尔高等检察厅表示，他们认为推翻伪造公文罪无罪判决的可能性很低。

上诉法院维持了下级法院对卢某的无罪判决，卢某此前因参与此案而被定罪。

郑义宣曾任国家安全顾问，徐正浩曾任国家情报院院长，金正日曾任统一部长官。

这四名官员都曾在前总统文在寅的政府中任职，2019 年 11 月，这些渔民被遣返回朝鲜。

发布于2026年10月28日晚上9点（韩国标准时间）

这张合成照片显示，从左至右依次为：前国家安全顾问郑义溶、前国家情报院院长徐薰、前总统办公厅主任卢英民和前统一部长官金炼铁，他们于10月21日在首尔高等法院出席听证会。（韩联社）

周三，检察官决定不对三名前政府官员在 2019 年强迫遣返两名朝鲜渔民的指控中部分无罪的判决提出上诉。

本月初，首尔高等法院维持了下级法院对前国家安全顾问郑义溶、前国家情报院院长徐勋和前统一部长官金炼铁的有罪判决。同时，法院也维持了前总统办公厅主任卢英民的无罪判决，卢英民此前因涉案而被判有罪。

上诉法院宣判 Chung、Suh 和 Kim 伪造公共文件的罪名不成立。

首尔高等检察厅表示不会对部分无罪判决提出上诉。

检方表示，他们做出这一决定是基于这样的判断：这些无罪判决被推翻的可能性很低。

但是，它将对卢的无罪判决提出上诉。

这四人均曾在前总统文在寅的政府任职，2019年11月，首尔将两名在东部海域边界附近被捕的朝鲜渔民遣返回朝鲜。这两名渔民被指控杀害了16名船员。