Seoul: A special counsel team announced plans to question former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae next week as a suspect in their investigation into alleged government interference in a military probe concerning the 2023 death of a Marine.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Park is set to appear at the office of special counsel Lee Myeong-hyeon in southern Seoul on October 24 for questioning. The allegations against the former justice minister involve facilitating the departure of former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup to Australia last year. This occurred while Lee was under investigation for allegedly interfering in the military probe into the Marine's death, which happened during an operation to search for flood victims.
The special counsel's office revealed that Lee was under an exit ban at the time, but it was lifted shortly after his appointment as South Korea's ambassador to Canberra. The investigation is centered around suspicions that Park assisted Lee, considered a key suspect in exerting pressure on the military probe, in leaving the country to evade investigation.