The detention review for Im Sung-geun, former commander of the 1st Marine Division and the key suspect in the death of Private Chae Su-geun, is scheduled for the 23rd. The former division commander is accused of involvement in Private Chae's death by issuing orders for underwater searches, among other things (occupational negligence resulting in death).
According to legal sources on the 21st, Lee Jeong-jae, a warrant-judging presiding judge at the Seoul Central District Court, will conduct a pre-arrest suspect interrogation (substantive warrant review) of the former division commander, who faces charges of occupational negligence causing death and injury and violating orders under the Military Criminal Act, starting at 3 p.m. on the 23rd.
Earlier, the Marine Corps special counsel sought an arrest warrant for the former division commander on the morning of the day.
The former division commander is accused of causing the death of one Marine and injuring other Marines (occupational negligence causing death and injury) by ordering underwater searches without providing life jackets and other safety equipment during an operation to search for submerged missing persons along the Naeseongcheon area in Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang, in July 2023.
He is also charged with exercising command authority over the operation even though he did not have operational control (violation of orders under Article 47 of the Military Criminal Act).
Special Counsel Jeong Min-young said at a regular briefing that day, "We conducted multiple on-site inspections in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang, as well as Pohang and Hwaseong, where the incident occurred, and questioned 80 service members and commanders of the 1st Marine Division, additionally confirming important facts that had not been identified before the special counsel investigation," adding, "We determined that it is necessary to investigate the former division commander under detention, given that the criminal allegations are substantiated, the gravity of the offenses, and the high risk of evidence destruction."