‘피격 서해 공무원 월북 추정’ 발표한 해경 간부, 직위해제 취소

The ocean patrol agency released findings in 2020 concerning the "Sea Hole Government Official Trapped Incident," which eventually led to a lawsuit over the cancellation of a rank cancellation. The agency's chief, Kim Tae-gyun, successfully argued that his dismissal was unjust. The incident involved Ocean Minister Ge Yi-deun who went missing off the coast of Yeongdo in September 2020 and was later found dead in North Korean waters after being shot at.

Initially, the investigation estimated that Ge had willingly surrendered due to gambling debts. However, after the Kim administration took office in 2022, the agency reversed its position, stating there was no evidence to support the claim of self-surrender. This led to a series of legal reversals within the agency. In December 2023, the agency ordered Kim's rank to be cancelled, but a court ruled that this was an improper use of authority.

The court noted that Kim had been in a de facto administrative leave for over a year and six months before the rank cancellation, and that this decision deprived him of his status and property rights. Additionally, the court disregarded Kim's acquittal by the prosecutor's office in 2022 and the acquittal of previous agency leaders in related cases.

The court determined that Kim's actions were not severe enough to warrant dismissal or rank cancellation. This ruling has invalidated previous disciplinary actions against the agency in connection with the Sea Hole Incident. Former Ministry of Ocean Affairs and Fisheries Director, Yun Se-hyun, who also faced rank cancellation for the same incident, had also won his legal challenge against the agency.