Former Minister of the Ministry of National Defense Lee Jong-seop, identified as a key figure in the alleged pressure on the investigation into the death of Corporal Chae, was summoned for the first time as a suspect by the special counsel team investigating Marine death in the line of duty led by Lee Myeong-hyeon on the 23rd and questioned for nearly 11 hours. It came 83 days after the special counsel opened the probe on Jul. 2.
Arriving at the special counsel's office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, at 9:53 a.m. that day, the former Minister said, "I will faithfully undergo questioning." The special counsel pressed him on what instructions he received from former President Yoon Suk-yeol in Jul. 2023 and why he withheld the transfer of the Marine Corps investigative team's findings. The former Minister has been pinpointed as the key link in the alleged pressure after it emerged that he reversed his approval immediately after a call with the former president in connection with the "VIP fury theory."
After the questioning, the attorney said, "The former Minister only withheld the transfer as part of a careful review," adding, "There is no fact that the president was involved in the investigation." He also added, "An order cannot be established by fury alone."
The same day, the special counsel re-summoned former vice minister of defense Shin Beom-chul after nine days to verify how the case records were retrieved, and summoned former Marine Corps Commandant Kim Gye-hwan for the sixth time to investigate allegations of abuse of authority and perjury to frame. Former Chief of Naval Operations Lee Jong-ho, who has failed to appear despite being notified to appear as a reference witness, will be requested as a witness at trial.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet approved an amendment to the special counsel act that day, and the investigation period is expected to be extended until late Nov. at the latest. The special counsel team said, "Because the abuse of authority charge is hotly contested in court, a cautious investigation is necessary," adding, "We will reach a substantive conclusion next month."