Ex-Marine investigator acquitted of subordination charges in conscript death probe

Col. Park Jung-hun, a former Marine Corps chief investigator, attends a press convention outdoors a courtroom martial in Seoul, Jan. 9. Yonhap

A former Marine Corps chief investigator was acquitted on Thursday of subordination expenses in a army probe right into a younger conscript killed throughout flood-related rescue operations.

A courtroom martial in central Seoul delivered the ruling on Col. Park Jung-hun, who was accused of insubordination and defamation of his superior following an inner probe he led into the dying of the corporal who was swept away by a torrent throughout a seek for lacking flood victims in July 2023.

The courtroom martial acquitted Park of subordination expenses, saying the investigative staff has an obligation to switch the case to the police, and cleared defamation expenses, citing a scarcity of proof.

Navy prosecutors earlier sought a three-year jail time period for Park, claiming his denial of all expenses „negatively“ impacts the command system and self-discipline of the army.

The ruling got here greater than a yr after Park was indicted in October 2023 for allegedly handing over the interior probe outcomes to the civilian police regardless of orders from then Protection Minister Lee Jong-sup and the Marine Corps‘ chief to attend for extra authorized deliberations.

Park’s case and its proceedings have made headlines amid the purported involvement of the presidential workplace within the retrieval of the probe outcomes from police.

The previous Marine investigator has claimed he was knowledgeable that the case retrieval was determined after President Yoon Suk Yeol reportedly grew indignant over the inquiry outcome accusing army commanders.

Lee had initially accepted the probe’s findings earlier than reversing his determination a day later, elevating questions over the transfer.

Park had drawn up a report accusing eight army officers of being liable for the Marine’s dying. However the protection ministry instantly retrieved it from the police, whereas he was subsequently dismissed and indicted.

In Thursday’s ruling, the courtroom martial stated the Marine investigative staff has an obligation to switch the case to the police, stating that the Marine Corps chief has no authority to order deferring such a process.

Park has additionally informed the media that he had felt „pressured“ to take away the commander of the first Marine Division from an inventory of individuals discovered liable for the dying, claiming that Lee requested whether or not even the commander would face felony expenses throughout their assembly.

Prosecutors have rejected the comment as false, accusing Park of defaming the minister.

Park’s attorneys had pleaded not responsible, citing the dearth of a transparent order from his superior on transferring the case to the police and unlawful influence-peddling.

Park additionally denied defamation expenses, saying he didn’t have any intention to take action.

The 20-year-old Marine’s dying and developments over the army’s inner probe had fueled nationwide outrage, particularly over preliminary findings that the conscript and his colleagues had been mobilized with out correct security gear. (Yonhap)