President Yoon Suk Yeol indicated that his administration could investigate the 2019 repatriation of two North Korean sailors under the previous Moon Jae-in government, despite their wish to defect to South Korea.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Yoon said many people have questions about the Moon government's decision to send them back.

He emphasized that once a North Korean crosses the border into the South, they are, according to the Constitution, considered a South Korean citizen.

In November 2019, the two sailors had expressed their intent to defect after allegedly killing 16 fellow crew members on a fishing boat. They were, however, deported through the Joint Security Area of Panmunjom.

The then-main opposition Liberty Korea Party had sought a parliamentary investigation to no avail, while a court request filed by a group of lawyers seeking the disclosure of relevant documents was denied, with national security cited as the reason for the rejection.

The ruling People Power Party earlier said it planned to launch its own investigation into the case.