With allegations that Standing Commissioner Kim Yong-won of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) shirked duties by storming out of an NHRC meeting room, police summoned former Secretary-General Park Jin as a reference witness on the 26th.
The Korean National Police Agency's "Three Special Prosecutors Special Investigation Headquarters," which took over the special counsel case on the Marine who died in the line of duty, began questioning the former secretary-general at 2 p.m. that day at its office set up in a residential-commercial building in Seodaemun-gu.
Kim is accused of dereliction of duty and abuse of authority for leaving or not attending the standing committee without cause and for forcing a staffer to write an unfair written pledge.
From 2023 to 2024, at NHRC standing committee meetings, Kim repeatedly demanded Park's exit and apology and, when those demands were not accepted, left the meeting room.
Former Secretary-General Park also clashed with Kim and Standing Commissioner Lee Chung-sang, asserting that they failed to properly review the emergency relief request filed by Col. Park Jung-hoon, who was under investigation after exposing alleged external pressure on the investigation into the death of Cpl. Chae.
Kim is also accused of abuse of authority for forcing an NHRC employee to write a written pledge stating that "Chairperson Song Doo-hwan ordered an illegal disclosure of information" when records related to Col. Park's petition were released last year through an information disclosure request.
It is said that allegations Kim interfered with emergency relief measures for Col. Park were dismissed by the special counsel, and that part of the case was not transferred.
The special investigation unit is said to be questioning the former secretary-general about the circumstances at the time.