A former Marine Corps. division commander was questioned by police Monday in connection with the death of one of his subordinate soldiers during a rescue operation for victims of heavy downpours in July last year.
Lim Seong-geun, former commander of the 1st Division of the Marine Corps, appeared at the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency’s detective squad in Gyeongsan, 250 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in the morning for questioning as an involuntary manslaughter suspect over the death of a young Marine, surnamed Chae.
Chae was swept away by a torrent during a search for missing flood victims in the southeastern county of Yecheon on July 19, 2023, before being found dead about a half-day later. Lim, a major general, was the commander of the Marine Corps’ 1st Division, to which Chae belonged.
Lim’s summons came about 10 months after Chae’s death.
He apologized to Chae’s bereaved family and the public over the fatal accident but dismissed various allegations surrounding the Marine’s death as groundless.
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Some YouTubers, social media and even some news outlets have claimed for the past 10 months that I ordered an underwater search, which has nothing to do with me. I’ll fully cooperate with the police investigation to uncover the truth,” Lim said.
Lim previously told reporters that the search operation in question was carried out by a Marine brigade commander with approval by an Army commander.
The police probe into Lim has proceeded separately from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials’ ongoing investigation into several former and incumbent defense ministry officials over allegations of external pressure placed on the military investigation into Chae’s death.
Source: Yonhap News Agency