A warrant to arrest former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-sup, who is suspected of exerting outside pressure on the investigation into the death of Marine private first class Chae Su-geun, has been rejected. The court explained the reason for rejection by saying there is room to contest the main charges on legal grounds.
On the 24th, Seoul Central District Court presiding judge for warrants Jeong Jae-uk said he would reject the arrest warrant for the former Minister, who is accused of abuse of authority to obstruct the exercise of rights, among other charges. The Marine Corps special counsel's requests for arrest warrants for the following, submitted along with the former Minister, were also all rejected: former Ministry of National Defense Legal Affairs Management Officer Yu Jae-eun; former Ministry of National Defense Military Aide Park Jin-hee (Army major general); Ministry of National Defense Prosecutors' Office chief Kim Dong-hyeok (Army brigadier general, suspended from duty); and former Marine Corps Commandant Kim Gye-hwan.
Judge Jeong said the reason for rejecting the arrest warrants for the five, including the former Minister, was that there is room to contest the main charges on legal grounds, adding that a considerable amount of evidence had already been collected through a wide-ranging investigation conducted over a long period. He continued that, considering the need to guarantee the right to defense and the principle of investigating without detention, it is difficult to recognize the necessity and reasonableness of arrest.
Earlier, on the 20th, the Marine Corps special counsel sought arrest warrants from the court for the five, including the former Minister. The special counsel said that, through the investigation so far, it had confirmed how improper interference in the investigation related to Private First Class Chae's case occurred, and that it viewed major suspects who held public office as having colluded to commit the crime of abuse of authority to obstruct the exercise of rights, adding that the five main suspects for whom arrest warrants were sought had factual allegations substantiated, the seriousness recognized, and a risk of evidence destruction, making it necessary to investigate them in custody.