A South Korean government official who may have tried to defect to North Korea was shot to death and then set on fire by Navy sailors from the communist country, a report said Thursday. The 47-year-old man vanished from a boat on Monday that was carrying 18 other South Korean officials who were investigating potential illegal fishing near the water border between the two rival nations, the Associated Press reported. North Korean officials, wearing gas masks, found him in their waters floating on a small object on Tuesday and alerted the Navy, the AP reported, citing a statement from Seoul. A South Korean defense official told the AP that the sailors may have killed the man in accordance with their strict coronavirus measures, which require them to shoot anyone trying to illegally cross their border. CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APPThe official added that little is known about the man, but they believe he may have tried to defect to the totalitarian state.

Source: Fox News September 24, 2020 08:48 UTC