Police Investigation Review Committee Recommends No Prosecution for Former Division Commander Im Seong-geun in 'Chae Sang-byeong Case'

Two Junior Officers Also Excluded... Unknown Military Official Transferred

The Police Investigation Review Committee is reported to have issued a non-prosecution opinion for three individuals, including former Division Commander Lim Seong-geun and two junior officers, in relation to the death of Marine Private Chae.

According to the dedicated investigation team of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency on the 6th, the Investigation Review Committee, which includes civilian experts, reviewed the police investigation into the death of Private Chae and decided to exclude former Division Commander Lim from the list of those to be prosecuted.

Additionally, the two junior officers were also excluded from prosecution. However, six military personnel were concluded to be subject to prosecution.

The police have been investigating a total of eight suspects related to this case, including former Division Commander Lim Seong-geun, the 7th Brigade Commander, and a battalion commander.

The existence of one other suspect, previously undisclosed to the public, was first announced during the Investigation Review Committee's results briefing on the 5th. The police explained that this suspect is a military personnel who was added to the suspect list belatedly after the recognition of criminal facts during the investigation process.

The dedicated investigation team of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency stated, "It has been decided not to disclose the specific details of the review process or the voting results regarding the Marine's death incident." The opinions of the Police Investigation Review Committee do not bind the final police investigation results according to the 'Regulations on the Review of Police Investigation Cases, etc.'

Former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Lim Seong-geun refusing to take the witness oath during a legislative hearing on the "Special Prosecutor Appointment Act for the Investigation of Obstruction and Cover-up of the Truth Regarding the Death of a Marine" (Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act) held at the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the morning of the 21st of last month.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The police are scheduled to announce the final investigation results at the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency on the afternoon of the 8th.

Following this news, Kim Kyung-ho, the legal representative of Lieutenant Colonel Lee Yong-min, who was the battalion commander of Private Chae's unit, expressed dissatisfaction with the Investigation Review Committee's conclusion and submitted an online complaint to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) on the same day, accusing former Division Commander Lim of abuse of authority and professional negligence causing death.

Lieutenant Colonel Lee's side claims that former Division Commander Lim forced an underwater search during last year's heavy rain disaster recovery, conflicting with Lim's denial of ever ordering such an underwater search.