Marine Corps Special Counsel Raids Gongsoocheo Over Alleged Cover-Up and Delays in Private Chae Investigation

Three Former Chief Prosecutors, Including Song Changjin, Now Under Investigation

The special investigation team led by Lee Myunghyun, appointed to probe the death of Private Chae, has launched a compulsory investigation into the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (Gongsoocheo) and former chief prosecutors who previously handled the case, amid allegations of external pressure and cover-up.

Changjin Song, former Chief Prosecutor of Investigation Division 2 at the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (Gongsucheo).

This move aims to secure physical evidence regarding why Gongsoocheo, which began investigating the case in August 2023, failed to achieve substantial results for over a year and a half and why the investigation was delayed. This is the first time the special investigation team has conducted a search and seizure at Gongsoocheo.

At around 3:30 p.m. on August 29, the special investigation team dispatched prosecutors and investigators to the Gongsoocheo office at the Government Complex Gwacheon in Gyeonggi Province to carry out the search and seizure.

It has been reported that the team is securing related materials from the offices previously used by former Chief Prosecutor of Investigation Division 2 Changjin Song, former Chief Prosecutor of Investigation Division 1 Seonkyu Kim, and former Chief Prosecutor of Investigation Division 3 Seokil Park, among others.

Earlier that morning, the team also searched their residences and law offices, seizing mobile phones and other items.

The scope of the Marine Corps Special Investigation Act includes illegal acts related to external pressure suspected to have been exerted on Gongsoocheo's investigation into the concealment and cover-up of the Private Chae case, as well as allegations of abuse of authority and dereliction of duty.

At the time, suspicions were raised that external pressure on the investigation team was behind the delays in Gongsoocheo's investigation.

The special investigation team is also looking into the case in which former Chief Prosecutor Song was accused of perjury before the National Assembly (in violation of the Act on Testimony, Appraisal, etc. before the National Assembly).

He was accused in July last year of perjury during a session of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee regarding his testimony about Jongho Lee, former CEO of Black Pearl Invest, who was implicated in the alleged lobbying to save former Marine Division 1 Commander Seonggeun Lim.

At the time, when Assemblyman Kyungtae Jang of the Democratic Party of Korea asked, "When did you learn that former CEO Lee was involved in this case during the Gongsoocheo investigation?" Song replied, "I did not know about former CEO Lee's involvement until the whistleblower came in for questioning."

Former CEO Lee, known as a close associate of First Lady Kim Keonhee, is suspected of lobbying Kim and others along with members of the "Meotjaenghaebyung" group chat, which has been identified as a conduit for lobbying efforts.

After completing forensic analysis of the materials secured during the search and seizure, the special investigation team plans to summon former Chief Prosecutor Song and others in succession to verify the facts surrounding the allegations.