The special investigation team for fallen Marines, led by Myunghyun Lee, which is investigating suspicions of obstruction of the investigation into the case of Marine Corporal Chae, has reportedly conducted a search and seizure of former Vice Minister of National Defense Beomcheol Shin.
The special investigation team for the fallen Marine, led by Myunghyun Lee, who is investigating the suspicion of obstruction of investigation in the case of Marine Corporal Chae, arrived at the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on July 10, 2025, to conduct a search and seizure related to the 'VIP rage rumor' investigation, which triggered suspicions of external pressure on the investigation. Photo by Yonhap News
According to legal sources and others on July 10, the special investigation team carried out a search and seizure targeting former Vice Minister Shin on this day.
Former President Yoon Suk-yeol is suspected of having expressed 'rage' during a presidential office meeting at 11:00 a.m. on July 31, 2023, after receiving an initial investigation report from the Marine Corps investigation team. He reportedly said, "If the division commander is punished for something like this, who would want to be a division commander?" There are suspicions that he subsequently ordered the suspension of the case's referral to the police and pressured the Marine Corps investigation team to change its findings.
In connection with this case, former Vice Minister Shin has been identified as the individual who sent a text message to then-Marine Corps Commandant Kim Gyehwan instructing him to "remove the suspect's name, details of the suspicion, and the name of the crime, and change the term 'investigation' to 'inquiry.' Why does the Marine Corps not listen when told?"
Starting in the morning of the same day, the special investigation team conducted search and seizure operations at more than ten locations, including the Ministry of National Defense and the National Security Office, as part of its investigation into external pressure and obstruction related to the death of Corporal Chae. The search targets included former Minister Jongseop Lee, former Presidential Office Defense Secretary Kihun Lim, former Secretary for Public Office Discipline Siwon Lee, and Ministry of National Defense Spokesperson Hangyu Jeon, among others.
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