Yoon rejects special investigation into death of Marine Corporal Chae again. Is he determined to fight against public?[Editorial]

President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee pay a silent tribute at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii on July 8. Yonhap News

President Yoon Suk-yeol vetoed a bill mandating a special counsel investigation into the death of Marine Corporal Chae Su-geun on July 9. This was his second veto since May 21 during the 21st National Assembly. This time, he ignored the overwhelming majority of public opinion in favor of the bill and privatized the power granted by the Constitution to cover up suspicions against him. Is Yoon determined to fight against the public?

On July 8, after Yoon traveled to the U.S. to attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit, police announced the results of an investigation that cleared former Marine Corps 1st Division commander Lim Sung-geun of any wrongdoing, and Yoon approved a request for reconsideration of the special investigation bill in Hawaii, which was approved at the Cabinet meeting on the same day. The presidential office said, "The special probe bill should be withdrawn at a time when the police investigation revealed the actual truth and responsibility,” but how shameless they are? The results of the police investigation do not deviate an inch from the position of the presidential office, which says, "The essence is the insubordination of Park Jung-hoon, the head of the Marine Corps Investigation Team." The public doubts that the police could have properly investigated a case involving the president. The reason for the passage of the special investigation bill has become clearer.

The suspicion of Yoon’s involvement is even stronger than when he vetoed the bill in May. Last year, it was confirmed that Yoon talked to then Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, Vice Minister Shin Bum-chul, and Defense Secretary Lim Ki-hoon several times on the day the Marine Corps Investigation Team transferred the case record to the police, which indicated Lim's alleged homicide by negligence. Former Vice Minister Shin even testified at the National Assembly that his phone call with Yoon was "about recovery."

There was also evidence that Lim was close to Lee, who managed First Lady Kim Keon-hee's account as an accomplice to manipulate Deutsch Motors' stock price. The scandal has grown into a suspicion that Kim was behind the "Saving Lim Sung-geun" scheme.

The government and the ruling party are saying that they will wait for the results of the investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), but it is just an excuse. The suspicions have long since exceeded the CIO’s capabilities, as they widely involve the highest levels of power, including the president and the presidential office. An independent special counsel investigation, which is independent of power, is the only way to clarify suspicions of the public.

At least eight out of 108 ruling party lawmakers must vote in favor of the bill in a re-vote at the National Assembly, which seems not easy at the moment. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) should not just push for a re-vote before the first anniversary of Corporal Chae's death, but should plan an elaborate strategy to ensure that the bill is passed.

Regarding the recommendation of special prosecutors, Han Dong-hoon of the candidate for the ruling People’s Power Party leader, has recommended the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, while the Reform Party has suggested the recommendation of the Korean Bar Association. The DPK should actively consider accepting the third-party’s recommendation of special prosecutors if it can ensure the fairness of the special counsel investigation. They must not forget that the people's peremptory command is to reveal the truth behind the death of Corporal Chae and the substance of external pressure.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.