The special investigation team for the deceased Marine plans to summon former Marine Corps Commandant Kim Gye-hwan for questioning on the 7th in relation to the so-called 'VIP anger theory.'
The special investigation team for the deceased Marine stated during a briefing held at the special investigation office at around 10:40 a.m. on the 4th, "We notified the former Commandant Kim to appear by 10:30 a.m. on the 7th." It is reported that former Commandant Kim has also expressed his willingness to comply with this.
The VIP anger theory is related to the death of Corporal Chae Soo-geun, who drowned in an urgent rescue operation for missing persons in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province, in July 2023. The Marine Corps investigation unit that investigated this incident named former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Lim Seong-geun among others as responsible for Corporal Chae's death and referred the case to the police, raising suspicions that former President Yoon Suk-yeol and officials from the presidential office and the Ministry of National Defense exerted external pressure during this process.
In connection with this, there have been revelations that former President Yoon became furious after being briefed on the investigation results regarding the referral to the police for charging former Division Commander Lim and others with negligent manslaughter during a security council meeting held at the presidential office at 11 a.m. on July 31, 2023. Shortly after the meeting, at 11:54 a.m., former President Yoon reportedly called then-Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop and expressed his anger, saying, "If we punish for things like this, who will be able to be a division commander?" The special investigation team's perspective is that external pressure from the presidential office led to former Division Commander Lim being removed from the list of suspects.
Former Commandant Kim was the Commandant of the Marine Corps at the time of the deceased Marine incident and was also a direct superior of former Division Commander Lim. He is suspected of being the first to relay the 'VIP anger theory' to former Marine Corps Investigation Unit Head Park Jeong-hoon, who was in charge of the initial investigation into the deceased Marine incident. However, former Commandant Kim has consistently stated that he has never made such remarks. He retired in December of last year.