Former Division Commander Im Seong-geun on Honorary Discharge Application: "Have Completed Most of the Tasks"

Im Seong-geun "Judged that the necessary tasks have been largely completed"
If approved, can receive honorable discharge allowance

It has been confirmed that Im Seong-geun, former commander of the 1st Marine Division, who is suspected of exerting pressure on the investigation into the death of Corporal Chae, applied for honorable discharge last week.

In a statement on the 31st, former Division Commander Im said, "After the hearing on July 19, I judged that I had completed most of the duties I needed to perform while wearing the military uniform, and on July 22, I reported my intention to be discharged to the Marine Corps Commander." He added, "I hope that my discharge will serve as an opportunity to overcome the difficulties faced by the Marine Corps and my comrades and to move forward into the future."

Former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Lim Seong-geun is seated in the witness stand at the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee hearing on the public petition requesting the initiation of the impeachment motion against President Yoon Seok-yeol on the 19th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

He also stated, "Since last year's incident, I have fully acknowledged all responsibility, expressed my condolences to the bereaved families, and twice offered my resignation in the hope of comforting them even a little and seeking leniency for the subordinates who have been subjected to judicial procedures. My feelings have not changed one bit."

Furthermore, he added, "I decided to be discharged after the police investigation results of the line-of-duty death case were announced, but postponed the discharge temporarily due to the unexpected hearing."

According to the honorable discharge clause of the Military Personnel Act, military personnel who have served for more than 20 years and voluntarily retire before the mandatory retirement age can receive an honorable discharge allowance. Accordingly, the Navy Headquarters plans to hold a review committee to determine whether former Division Commander Im's honorable discharge is appropriate.

However, under the Defense Personnel Management Regulations, those under investigation or being investigated by investigative agencies for misconduct are excluded from honorable discharge eligibility, so it remains to be seen whether former Division Commander Im's honorable discharge will be approved. Currently, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials is investigating former Division Commander Im and former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop regarding allegations of exerting pressure related to Corporal Chae's death case.

Regarding this, the Military Human Rights Center stated on the 31st, "The Navy and Marine Corps' act of reviewing former Division Commander Im's honorable discharge is a clear illegal act and special treatment," and announced, "We will launch a nationwide signature campaign opposing the honorable discharge until noon on August 4." The Center is reported to collect signatures online and submit them to Shin Won-sik, Minister of National Defense, who has the final approval authority.

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