Politics: Gyeongbuk National Police Agency’s Shamful Investigation: Lim Sung-geun Walks Free

Politics: Gyeongbuk National Police Agency’s Shamful Investigation: Lim Sung-geun Walks Free

8 July, 2024

The Farcical Police Probe into the Marine Corps' 'Cpl. Chae's Martyrdom Case'

Lim Sung-geun, former commander of the 1st Marine Division, speaks to reporters after being investigated by the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency's criminal squad on May 14. Yonhap News Agency

The Gyeongbuk National Police Agency investigated the Marine Corps 'Corporal Chae's martyrdom case' and, in a shocking display of incompetence, cleared former division commander Lim Sung-geun of any wrongdoing. Despite overwhelming evidence pointing to Lim's negligence—statements from field commanders, phone call records, and details of the search operation—the police managed to drag out the investigation for nearly a year, conveniently scapegoating only the field commanders while letting Lim off the hook. It’s almost as if they were following a script written by those who pressured the Marine Corps investigation team. And now, they expect the public to swallow this travesty of justice?

The Police’s Absurd Justifications

The Gyeongbuk National Police Agency’s excuses for exonerating Lim are nothing short of laughable. They acknowledged that Lim visited the Yecheon accident site and gave specific search instructions but then claimed, "While his site map direction might be overstepping, it isn’t an 'abuse of authority.'" Apparently, Lim didn’t abuse his authority because he supposedly didn’t use it at all. And when he told field commanders to search for the missing with terms like "checkerboard search" and "chest-high boots," the police absurdly argued that he didn’t explicitly mean "underwater search." These terms, standard in military manuals and search operations, were apparently misunderstood by seasoned field commanders. So, are we to believe that a brigade of experienced officers collectively misinterpreted the division commander’s orders? Is this supposed to be a normal functioning army?

The Real Beneficiary of the Police Farce

Let’s not beat around the bush: the biggest winner here is President Yoon Seok-yeol. The selective dismissal of charges against Lim seems crafted to nip any allegations of presidential meddling in the investigation in the bud. President Yoon is rumored to have said, "If I punish a division commander for this, who would want to be a division commander?" This sham investigation result was foreshadowed when the Gyeongbuk National Police Agency, under orders from the President's office, handed over the investigative records of former Marine Corps Investigation Division Chief Park Jung-hoon to the Defense Ministry Prosecutor’s Office.

The Imperative for a Special Prosecutor

Thanks to this botched police investigation, the need for a special prosecutor has never been clearer. Despite the police’s whitewashing, the trial of former investigation head Park Hang-myung has unearthed enough evidence of obstruction and interference. The police’s results also inadvertently confirmed that the Defense Ministry’s directive to “not name charges” was an illicit form of pressure. Since the same individuals involved in the Marine Corps investigation were indicted in the police investigation, it’s high time the High Officials Crime Investigation Office picks up the pace on probing these allegations of coercion.