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Former Marine Corps chief investigator acquitted of insubordination charges

Published: 09 Jan. 2025, 14:48

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. [YONHAP]

A former Marine Corps chief investigator was acquitted on Thursday of insubordination charges in a military probe into a young conscript killed during flood-related rescue operations.

A court martial in central Seoul delivered the ruling on Col. Park Jung-hun, who was accused of insubordination and defamation of his superior following an internal probe he led regarding the death of the corporal who was swept away by a torrent during a search for missing flood victims in July 2023.

Park's case and its proceedings have made headlines amid the purported involvement of the presidential office in the retrieval of the probe results from police.

Park's lawyers had pleaded not guilty, citing a lack of a clear order from his superior on transferring the case to the police and illegal influence-peddling.

Military prosecutors earlier sought a three-year prison term for Park, claiming his denial of all charges "negatively" affects the command system and discipline of the military.

Yonhap