World North Korea shot dead South Korean in its waters: Seoul

North Korean forces shot dead a South Korean fisheries official who disappeared off a patrol vessel and ended up in Pyongyang's waters, Seoul's defence ministry said Thursday, calling it an "outrageous act".

The 47-year-old man had been on board a vessel near the western border island of Yeonpyeong, the ministry said in a statement.

© JEON HEON-KYUN North Korea seen from South Korea's western island of Yeonpyeong, near where Seoul says one of its fisheries officials was shot dead

After analysing intelligence, the South Korean military had "confirmed that the North fired at a South Korean national found in the northern seas and cremated his body", it said.

North Korea shot, burned body of missing S Korean official: Seoul

South Korea condemns 'brutal' killing of fishery official, urges Pyongyang to punish those involved in 'outrageous act'.The military confirmed earlier news reports that a South Korean fisheries official had been shot dead by North Korean troops after apparently attempting to defect across the two countries’ maritime border.

North Korea seen from South Korea 's western island of Yeonpyeong, near where Seoul says one of its fisheries officials was shot dead POOL/AFP/File. North Korean forces shot dead a South Korean fisheries official who disappeared off a patrol vessel and ended up in Pyongyang's waters

SEOUL - North Korean forces shot dead a South Korean fisheries official who disappeared off a patrol vessel and ended up in Pyongyang's waters , Seoul 's defense ministry said Thursday, calling it an "outrageous act".

"We sternly warn North Korea that all responsibilities for this incident lie with it," it added.

It was not immediately clear how the man came to be in the water. Earlier reports said that his shoes were found on board the patrol vessel, leading to speculation he may have been trying to defect.

In July, a North Korean defector who had fled to the South three years ago sneaked back over the heavily fortified border into the impoverished nation.

His crossing prompted North Korean officials to put the border city of Kaesong under lockdown amid fears that he may have carried the coronavirus.

US Forces Korea commander Robert Abrams said earlier this month North Korean authorities issued shoot-to-kill orders to prevent the coronavirus entering the country from China, creating a "buffer zone" in the border with special forces soldiers ready to kill. 

North Korea's Kim apologises over 'defector' shooting: Seoul

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un apologised Friday over the killing of a South Korean at sea, calling it an "unexpected and disgraceful event", Seoul's presidential office said. It was the first killing of a Southern citizen by North Korean forces for a decade, and provoked outrage in the South. Kim apologised "for disappointing President Moon and South Koreans" rather than helping them in the face of the "malicious coronavirus", said Suh Hoon, the South's National Security Adviser.

North Korean soldiers shot dead a suspected South Korean defector at sea and burned his body "He was shot dead in the water ," he said. " North Korean soldiers poured oil over his body and Pyongyang has closed its borders and declared an emergency to try to protect itself against the virus

North Korea found the man in its waters and committed an act of brutality by shooting at him and burning his body, according to our military's thorough analysis of diverse intelligence. According to South Korea ’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, the victim jumped into the sea while trying to defect to the North

The isolated North -- whose crumbling health system would struggle to cope with a major virus outbreak -- has not confirmed a single case of the disease that has swept the world since first emerging in China, the North's key ally. 

Pyongyang closed its border with China in January to try to prevent contamination, and in July state media said it had raised its state of emergency to the maximum level.

Video: At U.N., Trump demands action against China over virus, Xi urges cooperation (Reuters)