Ex-defense chief questioned over Marine’s death

Former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup was questioned by a state anti-corruption investigation agency Thursday in connection with a controversial military probe into last year's death of a young Marine, informed officials said. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) questioned Lee as a power abuse suspect over allegations that he exerted influence to hold off the findings of an internal probe by the Marines on the death of the soldier, surnamed Chae. Suspicions had it that Chae was forced by his superiors to push ahead with a risky rescue operation for downpour victims without proper safety measures in July last year. Lee was reportedly asked about whether he was involved in the defense ministry's alleged interference in the probe into Lim Seong-geun, former commander of the 1st Division of the Marine Corps., on the charge of manslaughter over Chae's death. Lim's case was sent to police but was transferred back to the military prosecution. The Marines' top investigator in charge of the case was separately indicted on charges of insubordination and defamation after he handed over the probe results on Chae to the police in defiance of Lee's orders. The CIO banned Lee from leaving the country in January, but he was named the new ambassador to Australia earlier this week. Source: Yonhap News Agency