The special investigative team summoned People Power Party lawmaker Lim Jong-deuk as a suspect for questioning starting at 9:30 a.m. on the 12th. Lim previously served as the second deputy director of the National Security Office during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.
On the same day, Lim arrived at the special investigative team's office in Seocho District, Seoul, around 9:03 a.m. He did not fully answer questions regarding whether former President Yoon Suk-yeol directly issued orders to exclude the suspect involved in the division commander case, the reasons and details of his phone call with former Defense Secretary Lim Ki-hoon (Army Lieutenant General, current President of the National Defense University) on the day of the National Security Office meeting on July 31, 2023, and whether he had contact with former Marine Corps Commander Kim Gye-hwan and others on the day records were retrieved.
At the time of the death of Corporal Chae in July 2023, Lim was serving as the second deputy director of the National Security Office. He is under investigation for allegedly intervening in the military prosecution's process of retrieving investigation records from the police and has been accused of abusing his authority and obstructing the exercise of rights. A source from the special investigation team stated, "We plan to investigate what contacts (Lim) had with officials from the Ministry of National Defense, Marine Corps, and the presidential office during the record retrieval."
Meanwhile, the special investigation team is also questioning Spokesperson Jeon Ha-gyu from the Ministry of National Defense to clarify the allegations of the 'VIP anger theory.' This is Jeon's second summons. He is reported to have been present at the briefing where the Marine Corps investigation team first reported the initial investigation results of the corporal Chae case to former Minister Lee Jong-seob.
The 'VIP anger theory' suggests that former President Yoon became enraged after receiving the investigation results of Corporal Chae's death during a presidential chief of staff meeting at 11 a.m. on July 31, 2023, and that former Minister Lee Jong-seob suddenly ordered a media briefing and to withhold the transfer to the police.