"Air Force Legal Office Chief Suspected of Falsely Reporting to National Assembly to Downplay Female Sergeant Case"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter]Jeon Ik-su, Air Force Legal Office Chief (Brigadier General), has been accused of making false reports to the National Assembly to downplay and conceal the death of an Air Force non-commissioned officer who was a victim of sexual harassment. Jeon is the head of the Air Force Legal Office, the superior organization overseeing the 20th Wing military prosecution, which was in charge of the initial investigation of the sexual harassment case in March.

On the 1st, Lee Chae-ik, a member of the People Power Party, claimed in a press release, "According to the Ministry of National Defense audit results, the initial report made by the Air Force to the National Assembly regarding the 'sexual harassment victim Air Force non-commissioned officer death case' was found to be false."

According to Rep. Lee, the victim, Staff Sergeant Lee, was scheduled to be questioned by the military prosecution of the 20th Combat Wing on May 21, but the investigation was postponed before her death. May 21 was the day Sergeant Lee took her own life. Regarding this, Jeon reported in a document submitted to the National Assembly on June 2, shortly after the case was first reported by the media on May 31, that "the date was changed from May 21 to June 4 at the victim's request."

However, the Ministry of National Defense investigation revealed that it was not the victim who requested the postponement, but rather the Air Force prosecution who first requested the delay, saying, "If the victim agrees, we would prefer to postpone it," Rep. Lee explained.

Accordingly, a court-appointed lawyer from the Air Force Legal Office later called Sergeant Lee to postpone the investigation.

Rep. Lee pointed out, "May 21, the originally scheduled investigation date, was the day Sergeant Lee took her own life," adding, "If the Air Force prosecution had conducted the victim's investigation as planned, it might have prevented her extreme choice." He emphasized, "With additional allegations that Jeon Ik-su made false reports to the National Assembly to downplay and conceal the case, an investigation into Jeon is inevitable."

There have been ongoing criticisms that Jeon cannot escape responsibility for the inadequate investigation. In this regard, the prosecution team also raided Jeon's office and mobile phone on the 16th, while he was still under investigation, but as of now, Jeon has not been summoned for questioning even once. The forensic examination of his mobile phone has not proceeded due to Jeon's refusal to allow an observer to be present. Jeon's side is reportedly refusing observation based on relevant laws that guarantee the participation of the person subject to seizure during the seizure and verification of digital information such as PCs and smartphones.

Jeon, on the contrary, claims that the Ministry of National Defense prosecution team is conducting an unreasonable investigation against him and has requested that his case, as a high-ranking official, be transferred to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO).

However, if the false reporting circumstances claimed by Rep. Lee are confirmed during the Ministry of National Defense investigation, it is expected that Jeon will be immediately reclassified as a suspect.

Regarding this, Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Boo Seung-chan responded to a question about Jeon's summons schedule by saying, "It is planned, and we will inform you once the timing is decided." When asked if he would be summoned as a person under investigation, he replied, "For now, yes." He also explained about the mobile phone forensic examination, "We are continuously looking for ways and reviewing it."

Meanwhile, Rep. Lee also revealed that the Air Force Headquarters did not follow the principle of separating the victim and perpetrator by taking immediate personnel action against the sexual harassment perpetrator at the early stage of the case.

Although the 20th Wing recommended the dispatch of the perpetrator, Staff Sergeant Jang, seven days after the sexual harassment incident occurred on March 2, the Air Force Headquarters Personnel Staff Department issued the dispatch order only eight days later, resulting in Jang being dispatched 17 days after the incident, on March 19.

Considering the bereaved family's testimony that Sergeant Lee mostly stayed on base during the petition leave period immediately after the sexual harassment occurred, physical separation was effectively not implemented.

Based on the Ministry of National Defense investigation results, Rep. Lee pointed out, "The victim's accommodation was only 30 meters away from the lodging of Senior Sergeant Noh, who was arrested on charges of secondary harassment, and the perpetrator Staff Sergeant Jang's and Sergeant Lee's boyfriend's accommodations were 200 meters apart," adding, "Because separation measures were not taken, the victim continued to suffer secondary harassment within the 20th Wing base."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.