Sergeant Chae Special Prosecutor Summons Yoo Jae-eun for 'Investigation Pressure'... Investigation into Lobbying and Negligent Homicide Continues

[Financial News] The Sergeant Chae Special Prosecutor Team (Special Prosecutor Lee Myung-hyun) is summoning and investigating Yoo Jae-eun, former legal affairs officer of the Ministry of National Defense, who has been identified as the person who conveyed the suspicion of investigation pressure in the case of Sergeant Chae's death. An investigation into former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun regarding the 'VIP fury' related to former President Yoon Seok-yeol is also underway.
Jung Min-young, assistant special prosecutor for Sergeant Chae, stated at a regular briefing on the 18th that Yoo, who is being investigated as a suspect from 10 a.m., is "a suspect of abuse of authority related to the suspicion of investigation pressure in the case of Sergeant Chae's death," and explained that "a comprehensive investigation into the instructions of former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop and the involvement of the presidential office in the investigation and follow-up measures of Sergeant Chae's death will be conducted." Due to the extensive volume of the investigation, it is expected to continue on the 19th.
The investigation into former Minister Kim will be conducted at the Eastern Detention Center from 2 p.m. on this day. He is a reference in the investigation pressure suspicion and is under suspicion of abuse of authority. The special prosecutor plans to confirm the overall reporting and instructions between the Ministry of National Defense and the presidential office, including the reaction of former President Yoon when he received the initial investigation results of Sergeant Chae at the chief secretary meeting presided over by the president on July 31, 2023.
In addition, the special prosecutor is also conducting an investigation into the Marine Corps command regarding the lobbying suspicion for former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Lim Seong-geun and the suspicion of negligent homicide due to the excessive underwater search operation at that time.
Assistant Special Prosecutor Jung stated, "We are investigating Park Sang-hyun, former commander of the 7th Brigade of the Marine Corps 1st Division, as a suspect of negligent homicide," and "we plan to confirm the situation and the background of the underwater search operation as he was the commander of the search operation in the Yecheon flood area on July 19, 2023." He added that a subordinate battalion commander will also be summoned on the 20th.
Regarding the lobbying suspicion, "We are planning a reference investigation into Song Ho-jong, who was a member of the 'Stylish Marine' group chat room and exchanged with Lee Jong-ho, former CEO of Black Pearl Invest," he said. Song is known to be a close associate of former Division Commander Lim and a former presidential security officer.
The 'VIP fury' is a suspicion that investigation pressure, such as the retrieval of investigation records and the reduction of suspects, was conducted after former President Yoon expressed fury upon receiving the investigation results of the Marine Corps investigation team, which identified former Division Commander Lim as a suspect, at the chief secretary meeting presided over by the president on July 31, 2023.
Former Officer Yoo attended the Ministry of National Defense's countermeasure meeting held immediately after former President Yoon's fury on July 31, 2023. It is reported that former Minister Lee instructed the retention of the case records and the reduction of suspects at the meeting. Subsequently, former Officer Yoo is suspected of being involved in the process of retrieving the case when the Marine Corps investigation team transferred it to the police and having it re-examined by the Ministry of National Defense's investigation headquarters.
Former Brigade Commander Park, along with former Division Commander Lim, is under suspicion of negligent homicide. As the senior field commander at the time, he was in a position to receive situation reports from the artillery battalion commanders, and the special prosecutor plans to focus on whether he instructed the underwater search.
The lobbying suspicion involves Lee Jong-ho, former CEO and known close associate of First Lady Kim Keon-hee, allegedly conspiring with members of the 'Stylish Marine' group chat room to influence the investigation through First Lady Kim so that former Division Commander Lim would not be punished.



scottchoi15@fnnews.com Choi Eun-sol Reporter