Arrest Warrant Hearing Held for Former Presidential Secretary Lee Si-won Over Alleged Leak of 'Corporal Chae' Investigation Details

Lee Jong-rok, a senior judge at the Seoul Central District Court in charge of warrants, began the pre-arrest interrogation (warrant validity hearing) at 10:10 a.m. today for Lee Si-won, the former secretary for public office discipline at the Presidential Office, who is accused of leaking details regarding the investigation into the death of Corporal Chae. The court is currently reviewing the necessity of his detention.

Upon arriving at the court around 10:00 a.m., the former secretary responded to questions such as whether he had relayed the search and seizure plan to the National Security Office and whether he admitted to the charges by stating, "I will faithfully explain my position."

Special Prosecutor Kim Chi-heon attended the hearing on behalf of the Kwon Chang-young Special Prosecutor team.

"July 19 marks the third anniversary of Corporal Chae's death," said Special Prosecutor Kim. "We believe the former secretary meets all the criteria for detention, including the gravity of the crime, the risk of destroying evidence, the risk of flight, as well as the potential for recidivism and the risk of harm to witnesses."

Special Prosecutor Kim added that he had met with the parents of Corporal Chae separately.

The special investigation team reported that the bereaved family of Corporal Chae is feeling anxious due to concerns that the suspect's side might attempt to influence public opinion through the media.

The former secretary is accused of receiving a report in September 2023 that the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency was planning a search and seizure operation related to the death of Corporal Chae Su-geun and leaking this information to the Marine Corps in advance.

This marks the first time the special investigation team has sought to secure the detention of a suspect in connection with the Corporal Chae case.

Previously, the Marine Corps special investigation team, which probed the allegations, identified circumstances suggesting that the report on the Gyeongbuk police investigation was relayed to the Marine Corps via the National Office of Investigation, the Presidential Office, and the Ministry of National Defense. They suspected that the former secretary might have received and reported the investigation information under the direction of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, but they were unable to prove it.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.