Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor, Summons Shin Beom-cheol, Former Vice Minister of Defense Tomorrow... Targeting the 'Upper Echelons' of the Ministry of Defense

[Financial News] The Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor's team (Lee Myeong-hyeon Special Prosecutor) is summoning Shin Beom-cheol, former Vice Minister of Defense, as a suspect for a two-day investigation. This is to clarify the 'VIP Fury' related to former President Yoon Seok-yeol and the allegations of external pressure on the investigation of the Chae Sang-byeong case, indicating a full-scale investigation into the upper echelons of the Ministry of Defense.
Jeong Min-young, Chae Sang-byeong's special prosecutor, stated in a regular briefing on the 9th, "We have conducted several investigations of key Ministry of Defense officials and suspects, and starting this week, we will begin a full-scale investigation of senior officials in the Ministry of Defense who received reports and gave orders related to the investigation of the Chae Sang-byeong death case."
The special prosecutor's team will investigate former Vice Minister Shin on the 10th and 11th from 10 a.m. as a suspect for abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights. Special Prosecutor Jeong explained, "Former Vice Minister Shin is a key suspect related to the external pressure on the Chae Sang-byeong investigation that followed the President's fury at the time of Chae's death."
Former Vice Minister Shin is known to have sent a text message to then Marine Corps Commander Kim Gye-hwan during the process of withholding the police transfer of the case and modifying the Marine Corps investigation results after the 'VIP Fury', saying, "Remove the suspect, the charges, and the crime name, and change the investigation terms to inquiry. Why does the Marine Corps not listen when told?" The special prosecutor's team has been conducting forensic analysis on seized materials after searching former Vice Minister Shin in July.
On this day, the special prosecutor's team also notified Lee Jong-ho, former Chief of Naval Operations, of a reference investigation, but former Chief Lee did not comply with the appearance request. The special prosecutor's team believes that former Chief Lee received the initial investigation results, which included former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Lim Seong-geun as a suspect, from former Commander Kim Gye-hwan on July 30, 2023.
Former Minister of Defense Lee Jong-seop also received this report, and the special prosecutor's team suspects that a series of external pressures on the investigation occurred the next day, July 31, following the 'VIP Fury'. The special prosecutor's team plans to request former Chief Lee to appear again soon.
The special prosecutor's team plans to summon former Minister Lee, who was the top official in the Ministry of Defense at the time, after investigating former Vice Minister Shin. The special prosecutor's team intends to confirm what orders were given to the military following former President Yoon's fury, but the specific investigation schedule has not yet been coordinated.
 



scottchoi15@fnnews.com Choi Eun-sol Reporter