Ministry of National Defense Denies Orders to Exclude Specific Individuals in Marine Corps Investigation

"Dismissal of Investigation Unit Chief Due to Noncompliance with Marine Corps Commander's Orders"

The Ministry of National Defense stated that the claim that it instructed the commander of the 1st Marine Division, to which the late Corporal Chae Su-geun belonged, to exclude him from suspects in connection with the death of Corporal Chae Su-geun, who died in the line of duty after being swept away by a rapid current during the search for missing persons in the heavy rain, is not true.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 4th, the Ministry of National Defense sent a message to the press corps covering the ministry, saying, "There is no fact that the Minister of National Defense gave instructions to 'exclude a specific person from suspects' while ordering the suspension of the transfer of the investigation results to the police."

The Marine Corps investigation team was scheduled to hand over its own investigation materials to the police, which included charges of negligent homicide against eight people, including Im Seong-geun, commander of the 1st Marine Division, and Park Sang-hyun, brigade commander who led the flood recovery operation in Yecheon, Gyeongbuk. This is because, following the revision of the Military Court Act in July last year, civilian police must investigate military deaths caused by crimes. These internal investigation results were reported sequentially to Kim Gye-hwan, commander of the Marine Corps, Lee Jong-ho, Chief of Naval Operations, and Lee Jong-seop, Minister of National Defense. Given the public interest in the matter, a press briefing and a report to the National Assembly’s Defense Committee were also scheduled for the 31st of last month.

However, Minister Lee Jong-seop instructed to suspend the transfer to the police just before departing for Uzbekistan that day. In this process, the Ministry of National Defense stated that the claim that “instructions to exclude Commander Im and Brigade Commander Park from suspects were conveyed to the Marine Corps investigation team” is not true.

Furthermore, the Marine Corps investigation team judged that it was appropriate to specify charges against all those found responsible according to the investigation and hand them over to the police. It is reported that on the morning of the 2nd, they submitted their own investigation materials to the Gyeongbuk Police Agency. Then, the Ministry of National Defense prosecution team immediately requested the police to return the materials and retrieved them that same afternoon.

On the day the materials were retrieved, Kim Gye-hwan, commander of the Marine Corps, suspended and dismissed Colonel A, the head of the Marine Corps investigation team, from his post. Additionally, the Ministry of National Defense prosecution team reported Colonel A as the 'ringleader of collective insubordination' under Article 45 of the Military Criminal Act for collectively disobeying legitimate orders from superiors and began an investigation. Along with Colonel A, Lieutenant Colonel B, head of the Marine Corps Metropolitan Investigation Unit, and a Marine Corps non-commissioned officer who handed over the materials to the Gyeongbuk Police Agency were also subjected to a search and seizure and were booked as co-perpetrators.

A Ministry of National Defense official said, "Minister Lee instructed to suspend the transfer before his overseas trip to prevent any factors that could influence the police investigation. The dismissal of the investigation team leader was not due to a flawed investigation but was judged as a breach of military discipline because he disobeyed the legitimate orders of the Marine Corps commander and transferred the materials without permission, leading to his dismissal from the post."