By Berk Kutay Gokmen
ISTANBUL (AA) - Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol allegedly rushed to appoint former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup as the top envoy to Australia in 2023 to help avoid an investigation into the death of a Marine, a special counsel's indictment showed Saturday.
Yoon, who is already facing trial for a failed attempt to declare martial law, was also indicted earlier this week for allegedly assisting Lee to evade an investigation into suspected negligence by senior Marine officers.
The indictment, obtained by Yonhap News Agency, claims that in September 2023, Yoon discussed with his national security adviser, Cho Tae-yong, the possibility of sending Lee to a diplomatic post.
At the time, Lee had offered to resign as defense minister amid increasing controversy surrounding the death of the young Marine. Cho is said to have proposed the idea of appointing Lee as ambassador to Australia, and Yoon raised the suggestion during a meeting with former ministers, according to the indictment
Two months later, Yoon allegedly instructed Cho to make arrangements for Lee’s appointment. Cho is said to have directed Foreign Ministry officials to arrange for the replacement of the ambassador to Australia, whose term had more than two years left. Lee was ultimately appointed to the position in March 2024.
The indictment also claims that the Justice Ministry played a role in helping Lee leave the country, with former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae reportedly ordering the immigration agency to lift the travel ban on Lee, which had been imposed due to his involvement in the investigation.
The special counsel team believes that Yoon's efforts to help Lee avoid the investigation were driven by his desire to protect himself from potential involvement in the case.
The military investigation into Marine Cpl. Chae Su-geun’s death concluded that eight individuals, including Lim Seong-geun, the former commander of the Marine Corps 1st Division, were suspected of negligence leading to the death.
Lee, who was the defense minister at the time, initially approved the investigation's findings but later intervened to stop the case from being forwarded to the police after Yoon reportedly became enraged after hearing the results.
On Thursday, the special counsel indicted Yoon and five former senior officials for allegedly aiding Lee's escape, including Cho, Park and former First Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin.