Sung Il-jong: "Did the National Security Office intervene to withhold the transfer of Corporal Chae's case? ... There is nothing to conceal"

Seong Il-jong, People Power Party Lawmaker, MBC Radio Interview

Suspicions have arisen that the National Security Office intervened during the process of transferring the investigation results of the late Corporal Chae Su-geun's case to the police, but Seong Il-jong, a member of the People Power Party, rebutted, saying, "It couldn't be done, and who would do it?"

Earlier, the Marine Corps investigation team conducted its own investigation related to Corporal Chae's accident, received approval from Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop on the 30th of last month, and planned to explain the results to the media and the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 31st. However, Minister Lee issued instructions on the morning of the 31st not to transfer the materials to the police and to withhold them, then departed for Uzbekistan, and the Marine Corps investigation team's announcement of the results was also canceled.

Colonel A, head of the Marine Corps investigation team, did not comply with the Ministry of Defense's withholding order and handed over the investigation materials to the police on the 2nd. On the same day, he was immediately dismissed from his post, became the subject of an investigation, and was subjected to a search and seizure.

Seong Il-jong, member of the People Power Party. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On the 9th, Representative Seong appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and said, "(Minister Lee) said he would like to review it once again after returning from his overseas business trip, so he spoke to the Marine Corps commander again and went on the trip, but the (investigation results) were transferred." He added, "Even verbal orders are the most important instructions, but there was a problem, and I think the minister probably took action."

He also said, "The police lack experience with military operational systems, so rather than specifying charges for what the military investigated, they seemed to have judged that it was sufficient to explain all situations and hand them over."

Regarding suspicions that the National Security Office intervened in the withholding of the investigation report approved by Minister Lee, he said, "The National Security Office cannot intervene in investigations like this," and added, "This case has a very high level of public interest and involves failures to properly command the site during the flood disaster, so there is nothing to cover up."

He continued, "Because the charge of professional negligence resulting in death was applied even to those present at the scene, issues arose such as whether a sergeant who was involved in rescue operations at the site could have foreseen all the deaths," and explained, "So (Minister Lee) went on the business trip and said to review it once again, but this was disobeyed, and the investigation report was sent to the police as is."

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