Colonel Park Junghoon, who has been reinstated as the head of the Marine Corps Investigation Unit, conveyed his intention to "return to my rightful place as a soldier and faithfully fulfill the duties assigned to me."
On July 15, through his legal team, Colonel Park released a statement saying, "I have regained my rightful position," and added, "All of this was possible thanks to the support, encouragement, and prayers of the people. I sincerely bow my head in gratitude."
He mentioned that July 19 marks the second anniversary of the death in the line of duty of the late Corporal Chae Soogeun, stating, "It is still frustrating that the reasons behind Soogeun’s death and who is responsible have not been clearly revealed. I can only feel sorry for Soogeun’s parents."
He continued, "The special prosecutor is uncovering the facts one by one, so I believe that before long, the whole truth will come to light and those responsible will be held legally accountable. I earnestly hope that there will never again be an unjust death like that of Marine Chae."
In July 2023, during the investigation into the death of Marine Chae, Colonel Park forwarded the initial investigation results to the police despite orders from his superiors to withhold them, and was subsequently tried on charges of insubordination and defamation of a superior. In January of this year, the military court acquitted Colonel Park, and on July 9, the special prosecutor withdrew the appeal related to the case, finalizing his acquittal. Afterward, Colonel Park was reinstated as the head of the Marine Corps Investigation Unit and also regained his position as chief of the Marine Corps Military Police Branch.
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