On the 29th, the Marine special counsel summoned former Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) Director General-level prosecutor Song Chang-jin as a suspect on charges of abuse of authority. This is the first time Song has appeared before the special counsel.
Song arrived at the special counsel's office at about 9:19 a.m. that day. To questions from reporters such as "Why did you block the request for a search and seizure warrant for former President Yoon Suk-yeol?" and "Did you only later learn that former Black Pearl Invest CEO Lee Jong-ho was involved in the alleged lobbying to save former 1st Marine Division Commander Lim Seong-geun?" Song said, "I will go in and explain."
Song is accused of obstructing the investigation into allegations of "external pressure" in the death of Sergeant Chae while serving last year as acting Vice Minister of the CIO, a charge of abuse of authority.
In Jun. last year, a CIO investigative team was currently investigating allegations that former President Yoon and former Ministry of National Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, among others, tried to remove former division commander Lim from the list of suspects for involuntary manslaughter. However, when the team moved to seek search and seizure and communications warrants against former President Yoon and other figures connected to the case, Song, then Director General, was said to have replied, "I cannot approve the warrants. If you exclude me from the approval line, I will resign."
The special counsel is also currently investigating a case in which Song was accused of perjury under the Act on Testimony and Appraisal Before the National Assembly. Appearing as a witness before the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee on Jul. 26 last year, Song testified that "I did not know that former CEO Lee was involved in the alleged lobbying to save former division commander Lim." But Song had a prior record of defending former CEO Lee when he was investigated in 2021 in the Deutsch Motors stock manipulation case. The National Assembly viewed Song's remarks as perjury and filed a complaint against him in Aug. last year.