On the 6th, the special investigation team for the deceased Marine stated that it would investigate former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun at the Seoul Eastern Detention Center, where he is currently incarcerated. The team also plans to summon former Gyeongbuk Police Chief Kim Cheol-moon for questioning on the 7th.
During a media briefing that day, special investigator Jeong Min-young said, "Former Minister Kim, who was scheduled to be investigated today, appointed a lawyer the day before (the 5th) and requested a schedule consultation," adding, "Considering his status as a witness, we plan to conduct the investigation at the Seoul Eastern Detention Center."
Initially, the special investigation team intended to summon former Minister Kim as a witness regarding the 'VIP outrage theory' at 10 a.m. that day. However, this was cancelled due to a request from Kim's side for a detention center investigation meeting.
Special investigator Jeong noted, "In the case of former Minister Kim, we are coordinating based on the schedules of other trials," and added, "We will let you know once the investigation schedule is set."
The VIP outrage theory is related to the case of Marine Chae Soo-geun, who died while on duty in 2023. The Marine investigation team that initially looked into this case concluded that Im Seong-geun, the former commander of the 1st Marine Division, should be charged with negligent homicide.
According to this theory, former President Yoon Suk-yeol became enraged after being briefed on this matter during a presidential office meeting on July 31, 2023, and subsequently, the results of the investigation changed. Previously, the special investigation team revealed that they secured statements indicating that former Minister Kim attended that meeting while serving as the head of the presidential security service.
Additionally, the special investigation team announced that it plans to summon former Gyeongbuk Police Chief Kim Cheol-moon for questioning as a witness at 2 p.m. on the 7th.
Special investigator Jeong stated, "The investigation will also target whether there were illegal activities such as external pressure during the investigation process of the Gyeongbuk agency regarding the deceased Marine case," adding, "We plan to investigate the overall investigation process of the Gyeongbuk agency with respect to former Chief Kim."