Marine probe targets church lobbying

[Anchor]

The special investigation team for the deceased Marine conducted searches at the Yoido Full Gospel Church, Far East Broadcasting Company, and the home of People Power Party lawmaker Lee Cheol-kyu.

This is to investigate suspicions that former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Lim Seong-geun engaged in lobbying for his exoneration through church connections.

The special investigation team suspects that this lobbying may have reached former President Yoon and his wife.

Reporter Bae Ji-hyun has the details.

[Report]

The targets of the special investigation team's search include Pastor Kim Jang-hwan, chairman of Far East Broadcasting Company, and Pastor Lee Young-hoon of Yoido Full Gospel Church.

Also included in the search are lawmaker Lee Cheol-kyu and attorney Ko Seok.

The key figure in the case, former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Lim Seong-geun, and all others involved are Protestant believers.

The special investigation team has obtained evidence suggesting that Protestant figures were involved in the 'exoneration lobbying' for former Commander Lim, prompting them to initiate a forced investigation against these individuals.

[Choung Min-young/Special Prosecutor for Deceased Marines: "We have confirmed circumstances indicating that the lobbying for Lim Seong-geun's exoneration was connected through various channels, starting from former Commander Lim and his associates to the President or individuals around the Presidential Office."]

The special investigation team is focusing on phone records of former Commander Lim's wife, Pastor Lee Young-hoon, and lawmaker Lee Cheol-kyu during the period of the investigation into the Marine's death, specifically between July and August 2023.

During this time, it is suspected that Lim's wife, a member of Yoido Full Gospel Church, asked Pastor Lee Young-hoon and lawmaker Lee Cheol-kyu for help in exonerating her husband, and that this information may have been relayed to former President Yoon through Pastor Kim Jang-hwan, who served as a ‘religious mentor’ to the former president and his wife.

Additionally, the investigation is expected to examine whether attorney Ko Seok, known to have a close relationship with former President Yoon and a former chief judge of the Military High Court, was involved in this process.

As the special investigation team has secured the mobile phones of these individuals, they are likely to focus on clarifying the nature and circumstances of the communications among them.

This is KBS News, Bae Ji-hyun.