Seoul: Former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup attended a court hearing on Thursday to address allegations of interfering in the military investigation of Marine conscript Cpl. Chae Su-geun's 2023 death.
According to Yonhap News Agency, special counsel Lee Myeong-hyeon filed for Lee's arrest warrant on Monday, citing charges of power abuse related to the alleged interference. Lee arrived at the Seoul Central District Court, maintaining his innocence and pledging to provide a full explanation during the hearing.
The court is expected to decide on Lee's potential arrest by the end of the day. The allegations involve assertions that the former administration of Yoon Suk Yeol intervened in the Marine Corps' investigation to absolve a senior Marine commander of responsibility for Chae's death in July 2023.
Lee, who served as defense minister at the time of the incident, is accused of preventing the probe's transfer to police and retrieving it after Yoon reportedly reacted angrily to a briefing on the case. While Lee has conceded to Yoon's reaction, he insists there were no orders to exclude individuals from the suspect list or halt the investigation's transfer.
He defended his decision to stop the transfer as a rightful act within his ministerial authority, emphasizing that he did not direct any exclusion of the senior Marine commander from suspicion. Cpl. Chae died after being swept away in a swollen stream during a search operation for heavy rain victims, without wearing proper safety gear like a life vest.