[2023 National Audit] Ruling and Opposition Clash Over Investigation Pressure on 'Fallen Marine Corps Member'

National Assembly Defense Committee Conducts Audit of Marine Corps Headquarters
Opposition Raises Suspicions of 'Unfair External Pressure' During Investigation
Commander States "Investigation Chief Did Not Follow Legitimate Orders"

During the investigation of the incident in which a Marine died in the course of flood recovery operations last summer, the ruling and opposition parties clashed over allegations of 'external pressure.' Marine Corps Commander Kim Gye-hwan stated that the military prosecution's indictment of former Marine Investigation Unit Chief Colonel Park Jeong-hoon for insubordination, for not following the Ministry of National Defense Minister's order to withhold the police transfer of the investigation results, was justified.

On the 24th, at the National Assembly audit held at Gyeryongdae in Chungnam, Kim responded "Yes" to the question from Democratic Party lawmaker Ki Dong-min asking, "Do you think the Ministry of National Defense prosecution's indictment of Colonel Park Jeong-hoon (for insubordination) is justified?" He said, "Park is still my subordinate," but added, "Acknowledging a subordinate's disobedience to a legitimate order is not protecting the subordinate."

Kim Gye-hwan, Commandant of the Marine Corps [Photo by Yonhap News]

Kim mentioned that they discussed for two days trying to persuade Colonel Park, saying, "No one expected such a unilateral action." He added, "(Colonel Park) violated the legitimate order of the commander."

During the audit, the opposition party argued that there appeared to be 'external pressure' during the process of withholding the police transfer of the investigation results of the Marine's death, while the ruling party countered that the problem escalated because Colonel Park did not follow the legitimate order to withhold the transfer.

Commander Kim answered "I received it exactly" to People Power Party lawmaker Seong Il-jong's question, "Did you receive a precise order from the Minister of National Defense to stop the police transfer of the case?" He said, "The minister gave the order directly via a phone call from the military aide at around 11:56 a.m. on July 31." When asked if there was anything improper about the order, he replied, "There was nothing improper at all," and said he ordered Colonel Park to 'withhold the transfer' on the same day he received the minister's order.

Park Jung-hoon, Former Commander of the Marine Corps Investigation Unit [Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, on the 6th, the Ministry of National Defense prosecution indicted Colonel Park Jeong-hoon without detention on charges of insubordination and defamation of a superior under the Military Criminal Act. The indictment states that despite receiving the order from Commander Kim to withhold the police transfer of the investigation records of the death incident, he did not comply, and through media interviews claimed there was external pressure during the investigation, thereby defaming his superior, former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop.

Colonel Park investigated the case after a soldier belonging to the 1st Marine Division was swept away and died in a rapid current while searching for missing persons in the heavy rain in the Yecheon area in July. He reported to former Minister Lee that he would transfer the case to the police, citing charges of negligent homicide against eight people including Im Seong-geun, commander of the 1st Marine Division. Although former Minister Lee signed the report at the time, he reversed his decision the next day and ordered not to transfer the investigation results, sparking allegations of external pressure.

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