Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Song Young-gil speaks at a press conference at the National Assembly's media center Wednesday, ahead of the third anniversary of the death of Marine Cpl. Chae Su-geun, where additional complaints were filed against those implicated in the case. [Yonhap]
Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Song Young-gil speaks at a press conference at the National Assembly's media center Wednesday, ahead of the third anniversary of the death of Marine Cpl. Chae Su-geun, where additional complaints were filed against those implicated in the case. [Yonhap]

Ahead of the third anniversary of the death of Marine Cpl. Chae Su-geun, the Marine Corps Veterans Association said Wednesday it would file additional complaints against military officials accused of distorting the truth and obstructing the investigation into his death, vowing to hold them accountable.

Jeong Won-cheol, chairman of the Marine Corps Veterans Association, and Moon Geon-il, a senior attorney at law firm Illo, held a press conference at the National Assembly's media center 'on additional complaints related to the third anniversary of Cpl. Chae's death' alongside Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Song Young-gil.

"Three years have passed since a 20-year-old soldier was deployed into rapids without a life jacket due to command failures and died, yet the search for truth has been delayed by political pressure from above and systematic cover-ups," they said, adding that "now that former Marine investigation unit commander Park Jung-hoon — then a colonel, now a brigadier general — has been acquitted, military officials who gave false testimony in court to frame him, as well as those in operational command, must face legal consequences."

Song, who joined the press conference, said he would request a Ministry of National Defense briefing on the matter during the regular session's national audit and, if necessary, summon Jeong as a witness or reference person. "Our fight does not end with someone being punished," Song said. "We will ensure the Marine Corps rises above this pain and is reborn as an elite force that earns the trust of the people."

Attorney Moon said he had filed a complaint against former Marine Corps public affairs chief Lee Yun-se on charges of perjury intended to harm another in connection with Col. Park's trial, and a separate complaint against former Marine 1st Division chief of staff Lee An-seok on charges of harboring a criminal and coercing interviews. Moon also said he had filed a complaint against Mun Byeong-sam, former commander of the Army's 50th Division, who held operational control at the time of Cpl. Chae's death, on charges of dereliction of duty.


bigroot@heraldcorp.com