SEOUL - The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) has declared the need for additional interrogation of Lee Jong-sup, the recently appointed Ambassador to Australia and former Defense Minister, over suspicions of abuse of power in connection with last year's death of a young Marine.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee departed for Australia to assume his ambassadorial role despite an active investigation into allegations he improperly influenced the Marine Corps' probe into the death of a Marine during a search for civilian victims post-flooding.
The decision to interrogate Lee follows the justice ministry's lifting of an exit ban at his request, allowing him to leave two days prior to his CIO investigation. CIO officials emphasized the necessity of in-person questioning, suggesting the feasibility of such an action given Lee's potential returns to South Korea for official duties. The appointment of Lee as an ambassador amid these allegations has drawn criticism, particularly from the opposition Democratic Party, raising concerns about the propriety of assigning a suspect to such a prominent position. The justice ministry defended its decision to lift the exit ban, citing the absence of a basis for its continuation and noting the lack of a prior summons for questioning.