Lee Jong-sup departs for Australia as travel ban is lifted

Former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup speaks at the National Assembly in the National Assembly in western Seoul in last September. [YONHAP]

Former defense minister and recently named ambassador to Australia Lee Jong-sup departed to Australia on Sunday evening, two days after his travel ban was lifted.

Lee boarded the Korean Air KE407 flight bound for Brisbane, Australia, from Incheon International Airport, according to diplomatic sources.

He received a diplomatic agrément — approval from a stationing nation — from Australia and a diplomatic passport from Korea’s Foreign Ministry.

Lee, whose appointment came on March 4, has been investigated by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) on the charges of power abuse over a military probe. He was accused of tampering with the Marine Corps’ initial inquiry into the death of Lance Corporal Chae Su-geun, who died last July while searching for missing people amid heavy rains and flooding.

Some criticized that his appointment was improper because the investigation has not yet been finalized, nor has his indictment been decided.

The presidential office and Foreign Ministry said they were unaware of Lee's travel ban imposed last January. On Tuesday, Lee complained to the Justice Ministry to review and revoke his travel ban.

Lee voluntarily attended the questioning at the CIO on Thursday, a day before the Justice Ministry lifted his travel restrictions. He was originally scheduled to leave the country and head to Australia on Friday.

Additional questioning or his indictment can affect his undertakings in Australia. His return to Korea can delay diplomatic affairs between the two countries.

“President Yoon Suk Yeol [helped along] the flight of Lee, who was accused of committing a material crime, by giving him the title of a diplomat,” the liberal Democratic Party (DP) floor leader Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo said Sunday.

The party said it would file a criminal complaint to the CIO accusing the foreign minister and justice minister of power abuse and interfering with the ongoing investigation. The DP believes that the national agencies aided Lee’s departure to Australia.

On Monday, Hong Ihk-pyo said the DP will look to impeach Justice Minister Park Sung-jae and Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul.

“President Yoon should cancel the appointment immediately and bring Lee to Korea,” DP leader Lee Jae-myung said on the same day, suggesting that Yoon was involved in covering up Lee's crimes by allowing him to leave for Australia.

BY PARK HYUN-JU, LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]