Special Counsel Team Investigates Alleged External Pressure in Chae Soo-geun Case
The special counsel team investigating the death of Marine Corporal Chae Soo-geun has intensified its efforts to uncover the circumstances surrounding allegations of external pressure during the investigation. This includes summoning key officials from the Defense Ministry and military who were reportedly influenced by former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup before his interrogation.
On the morning of the 11th, Major General Park Jin-hee, a former military aide to the Defense Ministry and close associate of Lee, was summoned as a suspect on charges of abuse of authority and subornation of perjury. This marked the first time Park appeared as a suspect, having previously been investigated twice as a witness. Park, who had recently been suspended from duty at the Defense Ministry following a request from the special counsel team, arrived at the office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, around 9:15 a.m. He expressed regret over being labeled a suspect and stated that he did his best during his over 30 years of service.
Around 10 a.m. the same day, former Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul also appeared for a second consecutive day as a suspect on similar charges of abuse of authority. Shin remarked, “I hope the entire truth will be revealed for the sake of the country and the military.” Both Park and Shin are suspected of being involved in the delayed transfer and retrieval of initial investigation records, as well as the disobedience investigation, during July–August 2023 in the Chae case.
The special counsel team has obtained an audio recording in which Park allegedly pressured the Defense Ministry’s investigation headquarters to exclude former Marine Division 1 Commander Im Seong-geun from charges of negligent homicide, citing instructions from Lee. Shin is accused of repeatedly calling former Marine Corps Commander Kim Kye-hwan and pressuring him to “follow Lee’s instructions,” including reducing the number of suspects.
The team plans to focus its investigation on Park and Shin regarding what instructions they received from Lee and the content of their discussions with Defense Ministry and military officials. On the 12th, the team will additionally summon Kim, a key suspect. Kim is accused of intervening in the Chae case investigation through multiple communications with Park, Shin, and former Defense Ministry Legal Affairs Manager Yoo Jae-eun, as well as denying the “VIP’s anger” during the trial of Lieutenant Colonel Park Jeong-hoon, the Marine investigation unit commander charged with disobedience.
In July, the special counsel team requested an arrest warrant for Kim on charges of subornation of perjury after investigating him twice, but the court rejected it, stating, “There is no risk of flight or evidence destruction.” Jeong Min-young, a special counsel team spokesperson, said during a briefing, “Kim had previously denied hearing about former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s anger until the warrant review hearing, where he first acknowledged the ‘VIP’s anger.’ We will reaffirm his detailed stance.”
Based on statements from Defense Ministry and military officials, the special counsel team plans to investigate Lee regarding allegations of external pressure in the future. However, during Lee’s first summons on the 17th, the team will focus on suspicions of his appointment as ambassador to Australia and fleeing the country. Additional summonses will follow to investigate charges of abuse of authority and external pressure. Jeong stated, “The investigation into the abuse of authority and the Australia ambassador case are progressing at different speeds, so we will first summon him regarding the ambassador case and soon investigate the abuse of authority allegations.”
Meanwhile, the special counsel team is conducting a suspect investigation into a former Marine surnamed Lee, accused of subornation of perjury, starting at 9:30 a.m. the same day. Lee is suspected of instructing members of the “Handsome Marines” group, including a former presidential security officer surnamed Song, to commit perjury during last year’s National Assembly audit regarding lobbying to save former Division 1 Commander Im. The team plans to resend a summons request to Pastor Kim Jang-hwan, chairman of Far East Broadcasting, who did not respond to the day’s investigation.