The South Korea military confirmed that North Korea initially tried to rescue a South Korean official before fatally shooting him in waters near a western border island last week.

According to a Defense Ministry official on Monday, the military became aware of the circumstances suggesting that North Korean troops spent considerable time attempting to rescue the official from the water.

The ministry official added that the situation then suddenly changed.

The military explanation came after it was heavily criticized for failing to actively seek the official's rescue for six hours between the time he was found by North Korean troops Tuesday afternoon until he was shot and killed that night.

In revealing a part of the intelligence, the official said it took quite some time to confirm the credibility of the intel, analyze it and report it to the military brass.

As for differences in the two Koreas' announcements regarding the official's alleged attempt to defect to the North and whether his body was incinerated after the shooting, the ministry official said Seoul will objectively review the relevant intel.