Special Counsel Charges Ex-President Yoon and Defense Minister in Marine Probe Case

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Overview of the Investigation

A special counsel team has referred several high-ranking officials to trial for alleged abuse of authority in connection with the death of a Marine. The case involves former President Yoon Suk-yeol, former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-sup, and ten others. They are accused of exerting external pressure to influence the findings of the Marine Corps investigation unit regarding the death of Corporal Chae Soo-geun.

The indictment was announced four and a half months after the investigation commenced on July 2. The events leading up to this referral involve a series of actions by key figures in the government, including former President Yoon, who reportedly expressed frustration over the initial findings of the investigation.

Key Events Leading to the Indictment

On July 19, 2023, former President Yoon received a report from the Marine Corps investigation unit that outlined the initial findings regarding Corporal Chae’s death during a search operation. The report indicated that Lim Seong-geun, former commander of the 1st Marine Division, and seven others would be transferred to the North Gyeongsang Province National Police Agency on charges of criminal negligence resulting in death.

However, on July 31 of the same year, after receiving the report, former President Yoon reportedly expressed anger, stating, “Who would want to be a division commander in South Korea if division commanders are punished for such matters?” According to the special counsel, he exerted external pressure to alter the investigation's outcome.

Actions Taken by Officials

Following this, former Minister Lee, after receiving a reprimanding call from former President Yoon, instructed Kim Gye-hwan, former Marine Corps Commander, to suspend the transfer. Additionally, Yoo Jae-eun, former Defense Ministry legal affairs officer, who received instructions from former Minister Lee, ordered Park Jeong-hoon, head of the Marine Corps investigation unit, to revise the investigation results.

Park Jeong-hoon informed Kim Gye-hwan that altering the investigation results could lead to abuse-of-authority charges against officials from the Presidential Office and the Defense Ministry. He also mentioned the difficulty of convincing Corporal Chae’s family. Despite these concerns, Park Jin-hee, former military aide to the Defense Minister, insisted on excluding Lim Seong-geun from the list of suspects.

Consequences and Further Actions

Despite the resistance, the Marine Corps investigation unit proceeded to send the investigation records to the police on August 2. In response, former President Yoon instructed Cho Tae-yong, former National Security Adviser, to have the Defense Ministry retrieve the records. Former Minister Lee also ordered Kim Gye-hwan to dismiss Park Jeong-hoon and have Kim Dong-hyuk, former head of the Defense Ministry’s prosecution unit, investigate Park on charges of insubordination.

The investigation records were later retrieved by Yoo Jae-eun and altered by Park Jin-hee. As a result, Lim Seong-geun was reclassified from a “suspect in criminal negligence resulting in death” to a “related person.”

Charges and Legal Implications

The special counsel stated that former President Yoon gave specific and concrete instructions to exclude high-ranking commanders like Lim Seong-geun from suspects in a particular case. They also noted that former Minister Lee and others sequentially relayed unlawful orders, abusing their authority and infringing upon the fairness of the military police investigation and the independence of duty performance.

Additionally, the special counsel applied charges of leaking official secrets to former Minister Lee for disclosing plans and key statements related to the insubordination investigation against Park Jeong-hoon to former President Yoon and others. Former Minister Lee was also charged with perjury for allegedly providing false testimony to ensure Park Jeong-hoon’s conviction in a military court.

Individuals Referred to Trial

Those referred to trial on abuse-of-authority charges, among others, include:

  • Former President Yoon Suk-yeol
  • Former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-sup
  • Cho Tae-yong, former National Security Adviser
  • Kim Gye-hwan, former Marine Corps Commander
  • Shin Beom-chul (Vice Minister)
  • Jeon Ha-gyu (spokesperson)
  • Heo Tae-geun (policy director)
  • Yoo Jae-eun (legal affairs officer)
  • Park Jin-hee (military aide to the Defense Minister)
  • Kim Dong-hyuk (head of the prosecution unit)
  • Yoo Gyun-hye (planning and management officer)
  • Lee Mo (head of organizational oversight) from the Defense Ministry at the time of the incident.

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