Former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop said he received a direct phone call from then-President Yoon Suk-yeol regarding the 'VIP anger theory' allegations.
On the 21st, Lee's side stated in a notice sent to the press corps that in an opinion submitted to the special investigation team on the 18th, he recalled, 'The call from former President Yoon on July 31, 2023, is correct, and I remember he expressed concerns about the military.'
This indicates that on July 31, 2023, around 11:50 a.m., former President Yoon called him to convey his concerns about the investigation results of the deceased Marine incident.
At that time, the person who received the call confirmed that there were allegations that former President Yoon called Minister Lee after receiving a report on the initial investigation results during a meeting at the presidential office.
However, Minister Lee stated, 'I remember he expressed concerns about the military.' It is reported that there were no directives regarding the 'suspension of transfer' or the 'exclusion of former Marine Corps 1st Division commander Lim Sung-keun as a suspect.'
The special investigation team is investigating allegations that, during the meeting at that time, former President Yoon was reportedly enraged after being briefed on the investigation results that named former commander Lim as a suspect, and subsequently called Minister Lee to delay the transfer of the case. In this regard, the special investigation team plans to uncover the facts behind the VIP anger theory.