"Pathetic act of shifting responsibility to subordinates"
"I can't understand President Yoon protecting such a person"
Former Division Commander Lim, who is accused of negligent homicide in the line of duty, submitted a petition to the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency on the 10th, asking for leniency for his subordinates, including the commander of the 11th Artillery Battalion and the commander of the 7th Artillery Battalion. The petition stated, "Soldiers are trained to die without complaint when the country needs them. The difference between the police and the military is that the military must follow orders to die, but the police can protect themselves in harmful situations," which sparked controversy.
The petition also contained content that seemed to shift responsibility onto his subordinates, stating, "The commander of the 11th Battalion arbitrarily expanded the operational area to elevate the status of the artillery, and the commander of the 7th Battalion also misjudged that underwater areas were included in the operational target area due to a misunderstanding of the guidelines, which caused the incident."
In response, former People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Seung-min criticized former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Lim Seong-geun, the suspect in the death of Corporal Chae, saying he blamed the death of Corporal Chae on his subordinates and called it "a disgrace to the Republic of Korea Armed Forces and the Marine Corps." On the 12th, Yoo posted on his social media, "Former Division Commander Lim clearly showed how cowardly a person can be just to save himself," and added, "I cannot understand why President Yoon Seok-yeol is protecting such a person."
He continued, "This is not a petition to save the two battalion commanders who are his direct subordinates, but a despicable act of shifting all responsibility for Corporal Chae's death onto the two battalion commanders just to save himself." He also said, "The statement 'Soldiers are trained to die without complaint when the country needs them' was made by former Division Commander Lim," and questioned, "How can a suspect of negligent homicide who caused the death of a subordinate say such things in front of the death of that subordinate?"
He added, "It is naturally a soldier's duty to risk their life when fighting the enemy. However, even in combat, soldiers wear bulletproof vests," and questioned, "Who was the person who ordered that, during the search for missing civilians?not combat with the enemy?the Marines be swept away by the rapid currents of Naeseongcheon River without even wearing life jackets over their red shirts for Marine Corps publicity? How can someone wearing the guise of a human being make such outrageous remarks so recklessly?"
Furthermore, former lawmaker Yoo criticized, "If a general's usual perception of soldiers is that they are 'beings who die without complaint,' which parent in the world would trust such a general and send their child to the military, where they might die a senseless death?" He concluded, "Former Division Commander Lim's outrageous remarks are yet another reason why the special investigation law for Corporal Chae must be passed. As a retired Army sergeant, I find it hard to suppress my boiling anger."
Not only former lawmaker Yoo but also Cheon Ha-ram, floor leader of the Reform New Party, expressed a heated reaction regarding the petition by former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Lim Seong-geun, the suspect in the death of Corporal Chae. At the party's Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that day, Cheon said, "What kind of crazy nonsense is this? What kind of insane talk is this?" He criticized, "This was the most infuriating passage I have read recently. Did Corporal Chae go to the Korean War or die during an anti-armed communist guerrilla operation? They are calling the death of a soldier who tragically died due to their wartime and showy administration 'a being trained to die without complaint'? This is garbage talk."
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