Marine Corps probe stalls

[Anchor]

Colonel Park Jung-hun, who investigated the Marine Corps member's death incident.

He handed over the case records indicating that former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Lim Seong-geun, who was the final commander at the time, had allegations against him to the police.

However, he revealed that there was pressure from the Ministry of National Defense to remove Commander Lim from the list of suspects.

Colonel Park was later indicted on charges of insubordination by the Ministry of National Defense's prosecution unit, but the first trial result yesterday (1.9) was not guilty.

Now, what is important is the truth behind the allegations of external pressure on the investigation raised by Colonel Park.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials is in charge of the investigation, but progress has been slow.

Director Oh Dong-woon of the CIO showed strong investigative will at the time of his inauguration, calling it the "most important task," but now, 1 year and 4 months after the case was assigned, the investigation has effectively come to a halt due to the martial law case.

Reporter Park Young-min reports.

[Report]

The investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials began with a search and seizure of former Ministry of National Defense legal officer Yoo Jae-eun last January.

It was about 5 months after the case was assigned.

Subsequent search and seizures were conducted against the Ministry of National Defense, and former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-sup, who is accused of exerting external pressure on Colonel Park, was placed under a "travel ban."

In April and May of last year, the investigation seemed to gain momentum as former legal officer Yoo and former Marine Corps Commander Kim Kye-hwan were summoned as suspects.

[Kim Kye-hwan/Former Marine Corps Commander/May 2024: "(Did you say in a call with former Minister Lee Jong-sup that the President was furious?)…."]

But that was as far as it went.

The investigation into key suspect former Minister Lee Jong-sup consisted of a 4-hour informal questioning he voluntarily attended the day before his appointment as Ambassador to Australia.

In effect, no investigation was conducted, and there have been no additional suspect summons since May of last year.

In the meantime, suspicions have also been raised that former Black Pearl Investment CEO Lee Jong-ho lobbied for the exoneration of former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Lim Seong-geun, further widening the scope of the investigation.

[Lee Jong-ho/Former CEO of Black Pearl Investment/Voice altered: "I said don't resign, I will talk to the VIP."]

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials announced last November that it would resume suspect investigations, but the investigation is effectively on hold.

This is because all personnel from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials have been deployed to the case involving President Yoon Suk Yeol's charges of insurrection, which they received under the request for transfer of authority.

A source from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials stated, "Currently, the investigation is difficult," adding, "We will review the judgment document and re-establish the direction and plan for the investigation."

KBS News, Park Young-min.