Lim Jongdeuk of Yoon's National Security Office Appears as Suspect Before Special Prosecutor in Private Chae Case

Jeon Hagyu Summoned Again as a Witness

Lim Jongdeuk, a member of the People Power Party who previously served as the second deputy director of the National Security Office under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, appeared before the special prosecutor investigating the death of Private Chae (Special Prosecutor Lim Myunghyun) on August 12 as a suspect.

Im Jongdeuk, Member of the People Power Party. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

At approximately 9:03 a.m. that day, Lim arrived at the special prosecutor’s office in Seocho-gu, Seoul. When asked by reporters whether former President Yoon had directly ordered the retrieval of records, whether he had ever instructed the retrieval of records, and what communications he had with former Marine Corps Commandant Kim Gyehwan and others after the case was transferred to the police, Lim did not respond and proceeded directly to the investigation room.

Lim is currently under investigation on charges including abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights, in connection with allegations that he ordered the suspension and retrieval of the police transfer of records related to the death of Private Chae. Previously, on July 11, the special prosecutor’s team had conducted searches and seizures at Lim’s residence and his National Assembly office in Yeouido, securing relevant materials.

Lim did not attend the so-called "VIP Outrage" meeting, held on July 31, 2023, where former President Yoon reportedly became furious after receiving an initial investigation report on the death of Private Chae at a meeting of the presidential office's chief secretaries for foreign affairs and national security, due to a personal vacation. However, it is known that two days later, on the very day the Marine Corps investigation team transferred the case to the police, Lim was in close communication with former Defense Secretary Im Kihoon, former Commandant Kim, and others.

The special prosecutor’s team plans to verify what communications Lim had at the time with officials from the Ministry of National Defense, the Marine Corps, and the presidential office, whether he was involved in retrieving the records related to the death of Private Chae, and what instructions, if any, he received from former President Yoon during this process.

Meanwhile, Jeon Hagyu, former spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, who is suspected of being involved in canceling briefings and handling media responses at the time of the Private Chae case, also appeared before the special prosecutor on the same day for a second witness interview. The special prosecutor’s team plans to question Jeon about the circumstances during the initial report to the minister, meetings held at the Ministry of National Defense before and after the report, the response to the cancellation of media briefings, and the circumstances surrounding the distribution of so-called "mysterious documents" within the ministry.

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