CIO raids top office over undue pressure allegations in marine's death in 2023

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, which is investigating allegations of external pressure in the case of a Marine's death and the aftermath, launched a raid of the presidential office on Wednesday.

The presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, is seen on April 4. [YONHAP]

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which is investigating allegations of external pressure in the case of a Marine's death and the aftermath, launched a raid of the presidential office on Wednesday.

The search and seizure is part of a probe into suspicions that former President Yoon Suk Yeol, the presidential office and the Ministry of National Defense exerted undue influence during the process in which the Marine Corps investigation unit attempted to hand over the case of Cpl. Chae Su-geun's death to the police.

The CIO sent prosecutors and investigators to the National Security Office and the Presidential Secretariat in Yongsan District, central Seoul, to attempt the search and seizure. The warrant identifies former President Yoon and others as suspects on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of the exercise of rights.

Through the raid, the CIO plans to obtain presidential meeting records and access logs from around July 31, 2023, when the so-called “VIP rage” incident allegedly occurred. The aim is to secure these records before they are transferred to the Presidential Archives.

“This is to verify the situation at the time, including the alleged VIP outrage,” said a CIO official.

However, it remains uncertain whether the presidential office will comply with the search. Articles 110 and 111 of the Criminal Procedure Act stipulate that such processes at places involving military secrets or objects related to official secrets require the consent of the responsible authority.

A special police investigation unit sought to coordinate a search with the presidential office and the Presidential Security Service on April 16, but both submitted statements of refusal, citing military secrecy and official reasons for their non-cooperation.

The investigation began when Col. Park Jung-hun, the then-head of the Marine Corps investigative unit who first led the probe into the Marine’s death in August 2023, filed a complaint with the CIO.

Col. Park Jung-hun, a former Marine Corps chief investigator, attends a press conference in Seoul held ahead of a court martial ruling on his insubordination charges on Jan. 9, 2024. [YONHAP]

In April of last year, the CIO recovered a recorded phone call from the forensic analysis of the mobile phone of former Marine Corps Commandant Kim Gye-hwan, which included a conversation indicating Yoon expressed “outrage.”

The CIO also secured statements from Marine officials saying, “On Aug. 1 last year, we heard from Commandant Kim that President Yoon had expressed outrage.”

In July of last year, the CIO obtained the personal call records of Yoon, but did not proceed to investigate former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup.

Later, on Dec. 3, 2023, the investigation was fully suspended following the declaration of martial law.

This was due to the CIO assigning all available prosecutors and investigators to the case involving the former president. During that time, in January, Col. Park was acquitted by the military court on charges of insubordination and defaming a superior officer.

On April 30, the CIO resumed the investigation, calling in former division commander Lim Seong-geun to observe a digital forensic procedure.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY SHIM SEOK-YONG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]