[News Today] EX-MARINE INVESTIGATOR ACQUITTED

[LEAD]
Colonel Park Jung-hun, Former Marine Corps chief investigator, was acquitted of insubordination and related charges. He was investigating a soldier's death following a search operation on a rainy day. The military court ruled in his favor at the first trial. Colonel Park credited his acquittal to public support.

[REPORT]
The key dispute in the trial was whether there was an actual order made and if so, whether it was appropriate.

Col. Park Jung-hun / Former Marine Corps chief investigator (Aug. 2023)
The commander never gave a clear order to withhold the transfer. Meetings were continuously held in the morning, afternoon and evening.

The court determined that former Marine Corps commander Kim Kye-hwan did not give a specific order to former marine investigator Park Jung-hun to withhold handing over investigation results.

The court instead saw it as the two and others having a meeting to discuss the matter such as the time and method of transfer.

Since there was no order to begin with, the charge of insubordination does not stand.

However, some 50 minutes after the case was transferred, there was an order from Kim to stop that move.

But the court said that an order can't be justified because under court martial law, Kim should command the swift transfer of records.

The court also deemed this 'stop' order as the basis for determining the absence of a 'withhold' order.

Regarding the charge of defaming one's superior, the court found no intentionality.

It said that with the submitted evidence alone, it's difficult to say Park's statement is false.

Col. Park Jung-hun / Former Marine Corps chief investigator
I believe this fair verdict was possible thanks to public support and cheers.

However the court did not rule on Park's claims about external pressure and anger expressed by the VIP, a term referencing the president.