Military Prosecutors Demand Three-Year Sentence for Ex-Marine Investigator Over Alleged Insubordination.

Seoul: Military prosecutors have called for a three-year prison sentence for a former chief investigator of the Marine Corps, Col. Park Jung-hun, citing alleged insubordination connected to his handling of an internal investigation into the death of a young conscript last year.According to Yonhap News Agency, Col. Park is accused of insubordination and defamation of his superior following his leadership in an investigation into the death of a corporal identified only by his surname, Chae. The corporal was tragically swept away by a torrent during a mission to search for missing flood victims in July 2023. The military prosecutor argued in the trial, held at a court martial in central Seoul, that Col. Park denied all charges and presented claims contrary to the facts, which allegedly disrupted military command and discipline, necessitating a severe penalty.Col. Park appeared at the Court-martial of the Central Region in Seoul on November 21, 2024, to address allegations of noncompliance with his superior's directives concerning the internal investigation into the corporal's death. The investigation had concluded that Chae was swept away in a stream while searching for missing persons amid heavy rains. Military prosecutors charged Park last October for allegedly passing the investigation findings to civilian police prior to receiving the necessary legal clearances from then Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and the Marine Corps' chief.Initially, Lee Jong-sup had approved the probe findings but reversed his decision the following day, leading to confusion and raising questions about the motives behind the reversal. Park's report implicated eight military officials in Chae's death. However, the defense ministry quickly retrieved the report from the police, leading to Park's dismissal and indictment.During the court session, Col. Park maintained his innocence, asserting that his commander did not explicitly instruct him against transferring the investigation results to civilian authorities. He also refuted the defa mation charges, claiming no intent to defame.The court martial is anticipated to issue a verdict as early as next month. The death of the 20-year-old Marine and the subsequent handling of the investigation have sparked national outrage, particularly due to initial findings suggesting that Chae and his team were deployed without adequate safety equipment.