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CIO seizes records from presidential office in alleged interference in marine's death probe

Published: 09 May. 2025, 09:38 Updated: 10 May. 2025, 16:33

Officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials walk into the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, to attempt to conduct a raid on May 7. [NEWS1]

Korea’s Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) raided the presidential office on Thursday and secured key materials as part of its investigation into allegations that senior officials had interfered in a military probe into a Marine’s death.

Investigators arrived at the Yongsan District, central Seoul presidential compound in central Seoul around 10:30 a.m. Thursday and obtained internal materials through voluntary submission, including entry logs, internal phone call data and National Security Office (NSO) meeting records from around July 31, 2023.

The investigation centers on the so-called VIP outburst allegation. Then-President Yoon Suk Yeol allegedly became enraged during an NSO meeting after learning the military planned to refer former division commander Lim Seong-geun to the police as a suspect in a drowning incident involving a Marine.

“If you punish a division commander for something like this, who would be willing to take the job?” Yoon reportedly said.

In April last year, the CIO recovered a phone recording from former Marine Corps Commandant Kim Gye-hwan’s mobile device that contained a similar exchange.

The CIO had been negotiating with presidential officials since Wednesday over the scope of the search and seizure warrant, which names Yoon and former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup as suspects in an alleged abuse of power case.

Former division commander Lim Seong-geun answers reporters' questions before his questioning at the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi, on April 30. [NEWS1]

Due to a prolonged internal review at the presidential office, investigators had collected only part of the requested materials by around 4:30 p.m. Korean law requires the consent of an office head for searches or seizures involving military or state secrets under Articles 110 and 111 of the Criminal Procedure Act.

Separately, the Seoul High Court announced Thursday that Yoon will use the main entrance of the court complex’s west wing for his hearing on May 12.

The court had previously granted him access through an underground parking garage for two earlier hearings, citing security concerns — a decision that drew criticism for being overly preferential.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY SHIM SEOK-YONG [[email protected]]