CIO Minister Oh Dong-un returned home about 13 hours after appearing before the special counsel investigating the Marine's line-of-duty death on the 1st.
Oh left the special counsel's office at about 10:20 p.m. that day. Oh did not answer reporters' questions such as "what do you think about the special counsel's investigation into the CIO" and "how did you explain the lack of notification to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office."
Earlier, Oh appeared as a suspect at the special counsel's office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, at about 9:24 a.m. that day. Asked by reporters whether he acknowledged the allegations, he said it was "part of normal investigative activities."
Oh is accused of delaying an investigation for about a year without notifying the Supreme Prosecutors' Office of a case in which former CIO Director General Song Chang-jin was reported on charges of perjury in the National Assembly in connection with the death of Sergeant Chae (dereliction of duty). Under the CIO Act, the CIO minister must notify the Supreme Prosecutors' Office with related materials if a crime is found by an affiliated prosecutor.
In July last year, former Director General Song told The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee that he "did not know that former BlackBull Invest CEO Lee Jong-ho was involved in the case of external pressure on the Marine investigation."
Afterward, lawmakers from the Democratic Party of Korea filed a complaint against former Director General Song. They said the remark constituted perjury because, at the time, Song was serving as acting vice minister of the CIO and was receiving reports on the progress of the investigation into the death of Sergeant Chae.
The special counsel found that the CIO received the complaint from the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee in Aug. last year and that a few days later former Director General Song drafted a report to the effect that he was not guilty.
Former CIO Director General Park Seok-il was said to have prepared this report and reported it to Minister Oh.
In the day's questioning, the special counsel was said to have asked Minister Oh whether the notification to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office was delayed to shield former Director General Song and whether the CIO had reached a not-guilty conclusion in advance even before the investigation into former Director General Song began.