"There Was an Order from the Defense Minister to 'Not Identify the Suspect'"

Statement of the Marine Corps Commander in the Military Prosecutor's Detention Warrant Request

The Marine Corps Commandant is reported to have stated that he "received instructions from the Minister of National Defense not to identify the suspect." This statement by the Marine Corps Commandant contradicts the Ministry of National Defense's previous position that Minister Lee Jong-seop never gave such instructions.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop also stated at the National Assembly Budget Committee plenary session on the 4th that "I never said that the suspect should be excluded."

According to the pre-arrest warrant request submitted by the Military Prosecutor's Office of the Ministry of National Defense to the Central Regional Military Court on the 30th of last month, it is described that shortly after the cancellation of a press briefing regarding the investigation results of the death of Corporal Chae from the Marine Corps Investigation Unit on July 31, "the Marine Corps Deputy Commandant entered the Ministry of National Defense around 2:10 p.m. and received instructions such as 'suspension of transfer' from the Minister of National Defense, who was about to depart for a business trip to Uzbekistan, and then returned to the Marine Corps Command."

Marine Corps Deputy Commandant Jung Jong-beom conveyed the Minister of National Defense's instructions at a meeting held around 4 p.m. that same day in the Marine Corps Command meeting room, attended by the Marine Corps Commandant, Chief of Staff of the Marine Corps Command, Public Relations and Information Officer, Secretary General, Policy Officer, and former Director Park.

On page 7 of the warrant request, it is recorded that Marine Corps Commandant Kim Gye-hwan testified, "The Deputy Commandant explained to the meeting attendees that the Minister's instructions were: ① The investigative materials should be finalized by the Legal Affairs Management Office, but without identifying the suspect, only the necessary materials should be provided to the police; ② The police should make the final public explanation of the investigation results; ③ The Minister should be reported on the investigation results after the briefing on current issues on August 9; ④ Care should be taken so that the bereaved families do not misunderstand."

The Ministry of National Defense explained regarding the contents of the military prosecutor's arrest warrant request, "It was confirmed that the military prosecutor summarized the statement of the Marine Corps Deputy Commandant," and added, "These were not direct remarks from the Minister." Furthermore, "At the meeting, the Legal Affairs Manager reported that legally, 'if the criminal suspicion is unclear, it is possible to transfer the case without specifying the criminal suspicion, only stating the facts,' and the Minister instructed that this be explained to the head of the Marine Corps Investigation Unit."

They added, "It was confirmed that the Marine Corps Deputy Commandant understood and testified that both the Legal Affairs Manager's report and the Minister's instruction to explain to the Marine Corps Investigation Unit head were Ministerial instructions."