Brother of S.Korean slain by North rebuffs accusation he tried to defect

Lee Rae-jin, the older brother of a South Korean government official who recently killed by North Korean troops, answering questions during a press conference at the Seoul Foreign Correspondent Club in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday (Sept. 29, 2020). South Korea said Tuesday that a government official slain by North Korean sailors wanted to defect, concluding that the man, who had gambling debts, swam against unfavorable currents with the help of a life jacket and a floatation device and conveyed his intention of resettling in North Korea. - AP

SEOUL, Sept 29 (Reuters): The brother of the South Korean fisheries official killed by North Korean soldiers at sea last week rejected the government's claim on Tuesday that the man had expressed his willingness to defect to the soldiers.

The death of the official, who was only identified by his surname Lee, sparked a dispute over why and how he was found floating in North Korean waters nearly 36 hours after he went missing.