SEOUL - The former chief investigator of the Marine Corps, Col. Park Jung-hun, denied allegations of insubordination and defamation at the first hearing of his trial, held at the High Military Court in the defense ministry compound. Park was indicted for transferring probe findings related to the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun to civilian police in August, against then Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup's order for legal deliberations. He emphasized the need for a comprehensive investigation into possible external pressure and influence peddling surrounding the case.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Park voiced his concerns over the slow pace of the police investigation into Chae's death and the Corruption Investigation Office's handling of potential influence peddling. Park, who led the preliminary investigation into Chae's death, caused by an overflowing stream during a mission, argued that the military prosecution's indictment was baseless and vowed to prove his innocence in court. The Marine Corps' investigation found eight individuals, including the 1st Marine Division commander, responsible for negligent homicide. Park's decision to forward the findings to the police, despite Lee's reversed approval, led to his dismissal and subsequent prosecution. He has claimed external pressure to exclude the division commander from the list of responsible individuals, an allegation prosecutor has refuted as defamation of the minister.