"Late Lee Yeram Case" Air Force Legal Office Chief Jeon Ik-su's Side Says "Special Prosecutor's Indictment Is Overreach"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] The defense team of former Air Force Headquarters Legal Office Chief Jeon Ik-su (52, Brigadier General), who was indicted on charges of interfering in the investigation of the late Sergeant Lee Yeram case, stated at the first trial, "The special prosecutor set the goal of indictment and took an excessive step."

At the first pretrial hearing held on the afternoon of the 24th at the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 26 (Presiding Judge Jung Jina), Jeon’s defense attorney criticized, "The Ministry of National Defense already investigated the Sergeant Lee’s forced molestation case for dereliction of duty but dismissed the charges."

Earlier, Jeon was indicted on charges of coercion during an interview under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes after he confronted a military prosecutor by saying "the warrant was wrong" following the request for an arrest warrant for military civilian employee Yang Mo (49), who had provided him with security information related to the case.

The defense acknowledged all objective facts of the indictment. However, they argued, "Although the defendant’s actions may have been somewhat inappropriate, applying criminal charges requires caution," and "It does not fall under the 'power or influence' described in the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes." They also expressed "deep condolences for the tragic death of Sergeant Lee."

Yang’s side, indicted on charges including leaking official secrets, also denied the charges in court, stating, "While there are parts that correspond to the objective facts of the indictment, legally it does not seem to constitute a violation of the Personal Information Protection Act or leaking official secrets."

The case involving Sergeant Jang Mo (25), accused of sexual harassment and indicted for defamation for telling colleagues that Sergeant Lee had falsely accused him, was also heard by the same court. Jang’s defense stated, "We acknowledge the basic facts but claim innocence as it is neither false information nor defamation."

The court will decide in the future whether to consolidate these trials.

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