Private Chae Special Prosecutor, 'Yoon's Fury' Kim Gye-hwan's Testimony Change Noted... Additional Investigation Announced

[Financial News] The special prosecutor team for Private Chae (Special Prosecutor Lee Myung-hyun) is focusing on the change in testimony by former Marine Corps Commander Kim Gye-hwan, who acknowledged former President Yoon Seok-yeol's 'fury', and announced additional investigations. However, as the arrest warrant was dismissed the previous day, the decision on whether to reapply for the warrant will be made later.
Jeong Min-young, deputy special prosecutor for Private Chae, said at a regular briefing on the 23rd, "Former Commander Kim changed his stance somewhat during the interrogation conducted at the court (the previous day) regarding this issue (whether former President Yoon was furious)," and "for the first time acknowledged that former President Yoon was furious."
He added, "We believe additional investigations are necessary regarding other allegations, including the change in former Commander Kim's testimony," and "we plan to summon former Commander Kim again as a suspect for questioning soon." However, regarding the reapplication for the arrest warrant, he explained, "It seems we need to make a decision while conducting additional investigations."
The special prosecutor team also plans to summon former Ministry of National Defense Policy Office Director Heo Tae-geun as a reference on the 25th. Deputy Special Prosecutor Jeong said, "He was present at the report meeting on July 30, 2023, when the initial investigation results of Private Chae's case were reported to former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop," and "he also appeared as a witness in the case of Colonel Park Jeong-hoon's defiance."
The special prosecutor team plans to investigate the overall decision-making process related to the report content within the Ministry of National Defense between July and August 2023 and the instructions of former Minister Lee. It is also understood that three people, including former National Defense Secretary Lim Ki-hoon, have been identified as the first to convey the rumor of former President Yoon's fury.
On this day, the special prosecutor team also mentioned the fact that there was a phone call between former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Lim Seong-geun and Ahn Kyu-baek, a candidate for Minister of National Defense, which raised suspicions of 'rescue lobbying'. It is said that former Division Commander Lim called and spoke with candidate Ahn, who was then a member of the National Assembly Defense Committee, around August 2023.
Regarding this, Deputy Special Prosecutor Jeong said, "We confirmed that there was a call with candidate Ahn Kyu-baek once," but "we have not confirmed any subsequent calls or communications. So far, we do not consider it a target for seizure and search related to rescue lobbying."
Regarding Joo Jin-woo, a member of the People Power Party who was then a legal secretary at the presidential office, he said, "There is something we need to verify," but, as the previous day, there are no specific investigation plans.
Meanwhile, Judge Nam Se-jin of the Seoul Central District Court, who is in charge of warrants, dismissed the arrest warrant for former Commander Kim the previous day after conducting a pre-arrest interrogation. The court judged that there was no concern about flight or destruction of evidence.

scottchoi15@fnnews.com Choi Eun-sol Reporter