[Anchor]

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was put on trial on charges of appointing former Defense Minister Lee Jong-seob—a key suspect in the case of Marine Corporal Chae's death—as the Australian ambassador to help him escape, has been acquitted in the first trial. The court ruled that it is difficult to conclude that there was an intention to obstruct the investigation behind Lee's appointment as ambassador.

Reporter Jeon Yeonnam has the details.

[Reporter]

On March 4, 2024, former Defense Minister Lee Jong-seob was suddenly appointed as the Australian ambassador.

At the time, Lee was a key suspect in allegations of external pressure regarding the investigation into Corporal Chae's death and was under a travel ban. When the Ministry of Justice lifted the ban and allowed him to leave the country, suspicions arose that this was an act of shielding a fugitive.

The special counsel team investigating Corporal Chae's death, which probed the allegations last year, concluded that Lee was appointed as the Australian ambassador to conceal the suspicions of external pressure, and indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol in November of last year on charges including harboring a criminal.

[Jung Minyoung / Special Assistant Counsel for Marine Corporal Chae (November of last year) : Procedures were initiated to send Lee Jong-seob to Australia as ambassador to prevent the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials investigation from expanding to the president himself and the presidential office.]

However, the first-instance court acquitted former President Yoon.

[Cho Hyung-woo, Presiding Judge / Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 22 : It is somewhat difficult to view that the directive for the appointment was pursued with the intention or purpose of helping him escape, simply based on the fact that the appointment order was issued while completely unaware of the travel ban.]

The court pointed out that "harboring a criminal means preventing investigative agencies from discovering the whereabouts of a criminal," and added that "taking up a post as an ambassador is fundamentally different from ordinary harboring of a criminal."

It also added that "there is room to view it as part of the exercise of personnel authority as the head of state."

Furthermore, the court pointed out that the sluggish investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials was also problematic.

Officials from the presidential office's diplomatic and security line who were involved in the ambassadorial appointment at the time, as well as Ministry of Justice officials involved in lifting the travel ban, were all acquitted.

Former President Yoon's side welcomed the ruling, calling it a "thoroughly natural conclusion," while the special counsel team stated, "We will thoroughly review the ruling and decide whether to appeal."

(Video by Yang Hyun-chul, Video Editing by Lim Yeojin)