Independent Counsel Summons Former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup as Witness Over Alleged Counterintelligence Command Cover-up in Corporal Chae Case

The 2nd General Independent Counsel team, led by Deputy Special Prosecutor Kwon Chang-young, which is investigating allegations that the Armed Forces Counterintelligence Command was involved in covering up the death of Marine Corporal Chae, summoned former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-sup today (July 28).

The general independent counsel team, tasked with investigating remaining cases following the three major independent counsels, has called in former Minister Lee in the capacity of a reference witness for questioning.

The independent counsel team is reportedly pressing former Minister Lee regarding instructions he gave to the Counterintelligence Command around July 2023, surrounding former President Yoon Suk Yeol's alleged angry outburst—the so-called VIP outrage—and the decision to drop manslaughter charges against former 1st Marine Division Commander Lim Sung-geun.

Having detected circumstances indicating that the Counterintelligence Command blocked the collection of information related to the VIP outrage, the independent counsel team has booked and is investigating former Counterintelligence Commander Hwang Yu-sung and Colonel Moon, who was then the head of the Marine Corps detachment belonging to the Counterintelligence Command, on charges of abuse of power.

Previously, the independent counsel team led by Lee Myung-hyun secured a call recording of Colonel Moon telling former Marine Corps Commandant Kim Kye-hwan in August 2023 that he would "conduct security education to prevent Marine Corps officers from leaking information about the VIP outrage."

It was also found that former Commander Hwang made successive phone calls following Corporal Chae's death to former Minister Lee, former National Security Office Director Cho Tae-yong, former 2nd Deputy Director of the National Security Office Lim Jong-dok, former Presidential Secretary for Public Discipline Lee Si-won, and others as part of the investigation into former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup's summons as a reference witness regarding the Counterintelligence Command's alleged cover-up in the Corporal Chae case.

Former Minister Lee Jong-sup was indicted last November by the independent counsel team investigating the Marine's death alongside former President Yoon and others on charges of exerting external pressure (abuse of power) regarding the investigation into Corporal Chae's death, and is currently undergoing a first-instance trial.
 
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.