A Seoul court on Friday issued an arrest warrant for a former Marine commander accused of negligently causing the death of a young Marine in 2023 during a search mission for heavy rain victims.
The Seoul Central District Court approved the arrest of Lim Seong-geun, former commander of the Marine Corps 1st Division, citing concerns of destruction of evidence after a special counsel team filed for the warrant earlier this week.
Lim is accused of pushing for the risky search operation without providing proper safety equipment, such as life vests, leading to Cpl. Chae Su-geun’s death in a swollen stream in July 2023.
It marked the first time the team, led by special counsel Lee Myeong-hyeon, took a suspect of its investigation into custody since its launch in July.
The team is mandated to investigate allegations the former Yoon Suk Yeol administration interfered in an initial military probe into Chae’s death in order to allegedly clear Lim of responsibility.
Meanwhile, the court rejected arrest warrants sought against former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and four others for the alleged interference.
“While the basic facts have been explained, there is room for argument in terms of the law on key charges, and it appears to be reasonable to make a decision on responsibility through adequate debate and deliberation,” it said.
Lee, who served at the time of Chae’s death, is accused of ordering the probe to not be transferred to the police and later retrieving it after Yoon allegedly flew into a rage upon being briefed on its findings.
After the alleged episode, the results of the probe were changed to exclude charges against Lim. (Yonhap)
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