World

Associated Press

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. Senior coast guard officer Yoon Seong-hyun said at a televised briefing Tuesday that there was a “very low possibility” that the man could have fallen from a ship or tried to kill himself because he was putting on a life jacket when he was found in North Korean waters. Yoon said tidal currents at the time would also make it extremely difficult for him to drift into North Korean waters naturally.