SEOUL—In a landmark development, former President Yoon Suk Yeol has been indicted on charges of allegedly interfering with the military's investigation into the death of Corporal Chae Sang-byeong. The special counsel appointed to probe the case concluded that Yoon's "fury" over the initial findings led to a systemic effort by high-ranking officials to unlawfully alter the investigation's results.
A Systemic Effort to Undermine Justice
Special Prosecutor Lee Myeong-hyeon announced the indictment of Yoon Suk Yeol and eleven other high-ranking officials on November 21st, including former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, former National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong, and former Vice Minister of Defense Shin Beom-chul. The charges primarily focus on abuse of power.
The core of the allegation stems from the death of Marine Corporal Chae Sang-byeong, who perished during a search and rescue operation in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province, following devastating floods in July 2023. The initial Marine Corps investigation found that Major General Im Seong-geun, the then-Commander of the 1st Marine Division, was a suspect in the negligent homicide case.
Upon receiving the initial report, former President Yoon Suk Yeol reportedly became enraged. Investigators found that Yoon allegedly told Lee Jong-sup over the phone, "If commanders are punished for such incidents, who will serve as division commanders in the Republic of Korea?" and "I have told you this repeatedly." This phone call is cited as the catalyst for the subsequent interference.
The Sequence of Interference
Following the alleged presidential mandate, former Minister Lee Jong-sup reportedly contacted former Marine Corps Commander Kim Kye-hwan three times, ordering him to halt the transfer of the investigation records to the police and to cancel scheduled press briefings. Lee then presided over emergency meetings, specifically instructing officials to remove General Im and others from the list of suspects.
When Colonel Park Jeong-hoon, the head of the Marine Corps Investigation Unit, resisted these orders and transferred the investigation findings—naming General Im as a suspect—to the police, the accused officials allegedly acted to illegally recall the records and forcibly modify the results.
Furthermore, several officials, including former Defense Ministry Spokesperson Jeon Ha-gyu and former Policy Chief Heo Tae-geun, are charged with perjury for allegedly giving false testimony during Colonel Park's subsequent military trial on charges of insubordination. Cho Tae-yong, then National Security Advisor, is accused of involvement in the seizure of the initial police-transferred records and lying during National Assembly briefings.
Conclusion of a Protracted Investigation
The special counsel’s indictment concludes a probe that began after the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) transferred the case in June, having investigated the matter for nearly a year. The special counsel conducted search and seizures at Yoon's residence and the Defense Ministry Prosecutor's Office, questioning the suspects, including the former President himself, who was questioned in custody on November 11th. (Yoon is currently detained following a separate indictment in a treason-related special prosecution case).
While Yoon and eleven other defendants were formally charged, they were all indicted without detention, as a court previously rejected the special counsel's request for warrants against five of the key figures. The trial is expected to shed light on the extent of presidential interference in military judicial processes.
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