It has been confirmed that Im Seong-geun, former commander of the 1st Marine Division, appeared on the 22nd at the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Division investigating the death of Marine Corporal Chae Mo.
According to the legal community on the 23rd, former commander Im attended the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) the previous day to observe the digital forensic process of his mobile phone. It is reported that some members of the investigation team participated in the forensic examination.
This is the first time former commander Im has appeared at the CIO since allegations of external pressure on the investigation into Corporal Chae’s death surfaced.
The CIO is expected to verify through the forensic examination of former commander Im’s mobile phone whether he gave any improper orders during the search for missing persons amid the heavy rain on July 19 last year, and whether he communicated with Lee Jong-ho, former CEO of Black Pearl Investment, who is a key figure in the ‘life-saving lobbying’ allegations.
In January, during a raid on the Marine Corps and Ministry of National Defense officials, the CIO seized former commander Im’s mobile phone but was unable to unlock it due to password protection, preventing them from accessing the data for several months. Former commander Im appeared at a hearing of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee regarding the petition to propose the impeachment of President Yoon Seok-yeol on the 19th of last month and stated, “I am willing to provide the password but do not remember it.”
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