(2nd LD) Ambassador to Australia returns home amid growing pressure to come back for investigation

Ambassador to Australia Lee Jong-sup returned home Thursday, 11 days after he left to assume the job, amid criticism of his appointment and departure when he is subject to an investigation into a Marine's death last year. Lee, a former defense minister, was under a travel ban at the time of his appointment over his alleged interference in a military probe into the death of a corporal, who died last year while on a search mission amid heavy rains. The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) and other critics have charged that Lee's appointment amounts to helping a suspect flee overseas and demanded President Yoon Suk Yeol withdraw the appointment and bring Lee home to face the investigation. The issue has become one of the hottest topics in the run-up to the April 10 parliamentary elections. After arriving at Incheon International Airport, Lee told reporters that he came back to attend a meeting of diplomatic mission chiefs related to defense industry cooperation and that he wants the Corruption Investigatio n Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) to question him while he is in Seoul. The CIO has been looking into Lee's alleged interference with a military probe into the Marine's death. "I hope that schedule coordination with the CIO will go well so that I can undergo questioning while staying here," Lee told reporters. His return came earlier than expected, as he had previously been expected to come back for an annual conference of South Korea's overseas diplomatic mission chiefs scheduled for late next month. According to the foreign ministry, the gathering of ambassadors on defense industry cooperation will bring together the South Korean envoys to Australia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Qatar and Poland. Some raised speculation the meeting could have been organized to give Lee a pretext for return amid worsening voter sentiment ahead of the general elections because there has been no precedent of the country holding such a meeting separately. Later in the day, Lee's legal represe ntative told reporters they have submitted a request to the CIO for Lee to be questioned during his stay in the country. "We've disclosed all of (Lee's) schedules while in the country, and requested a summoning for questioning," Lee's lawyer said. In a phone call with Yonhap News Agency, Lee's lawyer said his departure date remains undecided, while indicating that he could stay until mid-April. The lawyer also rejected the allegations against Lee. A CIO official said the agency would consider Lee's request. Ahead of Lee's arrival, a group of DP members gathered in front of the airport terminal to denounce his return, repeating its call for Yoon to take back the appointment and apologize to the public. "It is an international disgrace and diplomatic discourtesy to Australia," DP floor leader Hong Ihk-pyo said. Hong also accused the government and ruling party of hastening Lee's return because public sentiment is increasingly turning negative in the leadup to the elections. The DP members held up small p lacards with phrases calling for the immediate dismissal of Lee and swift launch of the investigation. Source: Yonhap News Agency