Kim Jong Un offers South Korea rare apology for killing of official

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, offered a rare apology Friday for the killing of a South Korean government official at sea by soldiers from the North, South Korea said.

“I am deeply sorry that an unexpected and unfortunate thing has happened in our territorial waters that delivered a big disappointment to President Moon Jae-in and the people of the South,” Kim was quoted as saying in a message his government sent to the South on Friday.

Kim’s prompt apology to the South, the first issued in his name since he took power nearly a decade ago, appeared to have headed off what could have been another serious crisis in relations between the Koreas. South Koreans across the political spectrum had expressed outrage since Moon’s government announced the official’s killing Thursday.

On Friday, some officials and analysts in the South expressed hope that Kim’s contrition could even help to revive dialogue between the Koreas, which has been stalled for months.

The official, whose name has not been released by the South but who worked for the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, went missing from his patrol vessel Monday. He was shot and killed in North Korean waters Tuesday, apparently while trying to defect, according to officials in the South.

North Korean soldiers then poured oil on the man’s body and set it on fire for fear that he might have had the coronavirus, the officials said — details that the North disputed in its statement Friday. The statement was sent by the United Front Department, a North Korean government agency in charge of inter-Korean relations.

The South Korean officials said the man had apparently been trying to defect to the North, citing the fact that he had left his shoes on the boat and entered the water wearing a life jacket. But they added that they were still investigating his motives.

The killing sent shock waves through South Korea. Moon and his government called it “stunning” and “atrocious” and demanded that North Korea apologise.

In the message, North Korea denied that its soldiers had burned the body of the South Korean official.