The special prosecutor investigating the death of a marine summoned Yoo Jae-eun, a former legal officer of the Ministry of National Defense, on the 24th for questioning. Yoo is suspected of being involved in allegations of external pressure regarding the investigation of the 'Private Cha's death case'. This is the fourth investigation by the special prosecutor.
Yoo arrived at the special prosecutor's office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, around 12:40 p.m. He is being investigated by the special prosecutor as a suspect reported for alleged abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights.
When asked by reporters about whether there was external pressure in the investigation of the Private Cha case and whether former Minister Lee Jong-seob mentioned to exclude Im Seong-geun, former commander of the 1st Marine Division, from the list of suspects, Yoo did not respond, stating only, 'I will sincerely cooperate with the investigation.'
The special prosecutor is investigating allegations of external pressure in the Private Cha's death case based on the 'VIP anger theory'. The VIP anger theory suggests that former President Yoon Suk-yeol was infuriated after receiving a report on the investigation results of the Private Cha case during a presidential office meeting at 11 a.m. on July 31, 2023, and he allegedly admonished the former minister over the phone, leading to a delay in transferring the case to the police and changing the investigation results.
Yoo is reported to have attended a Ministry of National Defense emergency meeting held immediately after former President Yoon expressed his anger upon receiving the report on the investigation results of Private Cha's death case on July 31, 2023.
At that time, Yoo reportedly called Colonel Park Jeong-hoon, head of the Marine Investigation Unit who conducted the investigation into Private Cha's death, demanding, 'Only those with clear suspicions should prepare case transfer documents, and the rest should only state the facts and hand them over to the police.' The Marine Investigation Unit had initially planned to transfer eight individuals, including former commander Im Seong-geun, as suspects for negligent homicide.
Yoo is also suspected of being involved in the process of retrieving investigation records from the Ministry of National Defense prosecutors' office after the Marine Investigation Unit forcefully transferred the investigation records to the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency on August 2, 2023. Yoo had previously undergone three investigations from the 18th to the 21st.
Meanwhile, it is reported that the special prosecutor also summoned Kim Min-jung, former head of the general prosecution division at the Ministry of National Defense, for questioning starting in the morning.