Ex-President Yoon denies interfering in 2023 Marine death probe
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol has denied allegations that he interfered in the military investigation into the 2023 death of a young Marine, according to his lawyers.
Yoon, who is currently jailed, was questioned for about seven hours by a special counsel team. He reportedly did not invoke his right to remain silent and answered most investigators’ questions. He faces charges of abusing power and aiding a criminal’s flight in the case, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Investigators allege Yoon ordered the presidential office and the Defense Ministry to reverse the initial military probe findings into the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun, allegedly to shield a Marine commander from responsibility. The Marine died in July 2023 after being swept away in a swollen stream during a search mission without a life vest or other safety gear.
Yoon’s lawyers said his anger at the time was directed at the lack of preventive safety measures, not the investigators. He also denied ordering the retrieval of investigation records handed over to the police.
The former president is further suspected of helping former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup avoid accountability by appointing him as ambassador to Australia in March 2024.
The special counsel team plans to conclude its probe into the alleged interference and coordinate a second questioning session with Yoon’s attorneys, expected around Sunday.
During Tuesday’s session, Yoon was brought to the special counsel’s office in a prison van and entered via underground parking — an exception granted for his safety.
This marks Yoon’s first appearance before the team led by Special Counsel Lee Myeong-hyeon and only his second compliance with any special counsel summons, after previously largely ignoring calls related to martial law attempts, corruption allegations involving his wife Kim Keon Hee, and the Marine case.
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