Marine Corps Former Investigation Unit Chief Refuses to Testify... Summoned for 20-Minute Investigation Ending Early

Defense Side: "Possibility of Military Prosecutor Involvement in Theft of Transfer Records"

The military prosecution's first summons investigation of former Marine Corps Investigation Unit Commander Park Jeong-hoon ended in about 20 minutes. Former Commander Park refused to testify, stating that he expects testimony related to external pressure from Marine Corps Commander Kim Gye-hwan.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

At around 1:50 p.m. on the 28th, former Commander Park, dressed in Marine Corps combat uniform, appeared at the Ministry of National Defense prosecution team as a suspect and declared his intention to exercise his right to remain silent before the summons investigation.

On this day, Kim Jeong-min, the legal representative, submitted a written statement of facts and opinions to the military prosecution before the appearance, telling reporters, "The military prosecutor in charge of this case is highly likely to have been involved in the theft of transfer records that occurred on the 2nd," and argued, "Therefore, former Commander Park has no reason to answer the military prosecutor's questions." During the investigation, former Commander Park's side refused to testify as planned and played part of a recording file featuring former Commander Park and his lawyers, claiming it as evidence of external pressure related to the death of Sergeant Chae.

In response, the military prosecution stopped the playback of the recording file, and a Ministry of National Defense official said, "We asked to submit it as evidence or to undergo a formal investigation, but former Commander Park refused and left the room."

Attorney Kim said he requested Marine Corps Commander Kim Gye-hwan to appear as a witness at the lawsuit to confirm the invalidity of Colonel Park's dismissal, scheduled to be held at Suwon District Court on the 4th of next month, and expressed hope that Commander Kim would testify about external pressure at that time.

Attorney Kim also claimed that the process by which the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency immediately returned the initial investigation materials received from the Marine Corps Investigation Unit on the 2nd to the Ministry of National Defense prosecution team was suspicious. He said, "There is information that the Gyeongbuk Police Agency received the case records in physical form and immediately copied them to keep a copy. This is an unusual action that goes against common sense. Would the police have committed a criminal act, risking their own necks, just because the Minister of National Defense asked them to?" He raised the possibility that external pressure may have also influenced the police.

The military is reportedly continuing the investigation, including considering additional summons for former Commander Park. The military prosecution had warned in the summons letter sent to former Commander Park on the 25th that "If you do not comply with the summons without justifiable reason, you may be arrested according to the Military Court Act."

Former Commander Park was booked on charges of insubordination under the Military Penal Code for not following the Minister of National Defense's order to withhold and not transfer the investigation results related to Marine Corps Corporal Chae, who died during the search for missing persons in the heavy rain on the 19th of last month. The initial investigation by the Marine Corps Investigation Unit had identified Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Im Seong-geun and others as suspects for negligent homicide, but they were excluded from suspect status after a review by the Ministry of National Defense investigation headquarters. Related materials were transferred to the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency, which is currently investigating the case.

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