Kim Byeong-gi, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized former Marine Corps 1st Division commander Im Seong-geun on the 22nd, following the issuance of an arrest warrant for charges including negligence in the line of duty in connection with the death of Corporal Chae. Kim stated that “calling someone like you a common thug would be an appropriate description.”
During the supreme council meeting held at the National Assembly that morning, Kim emphasized, “Do not hope for a miracle of immunity, but submit to the stern judgment of the law.”
The Special Prosecutor’s team, led by Lee Myung-hyeon, filed the arrest warrant the day before, accusing Im of failing to provide life jackets and other safety equipment and ordering reckless search operations as a commanding officer during the heavy rainfall disaster in July 2023 in Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang Province, which led to Corporal Chae’s death.
Additionally, there is an allegation that Im exercised operational control arbitrarily, issuing specific orders despite the restoration operation control being handed over to the army at the time of the rainstorm damage.
Im claimed to have forgotten his smartphone password during the investigation but suddenly recalled it the day before reports of the possible arrest warrant, which he then provided to the special prosecutor team.
Kim remarked, “Former Commander Im held out for a year, claiming he couldn’t remember his phone password, yet miraculously recalled it on the day the arrest warrant was filed.” He added that Im attributed this to “God’s love.”
He continued, “The sudden change in attitude after the special prosecutor filed the warrant is not an effort to reveal the truth but a ploy to save himself. Are you mocking the public?” Kim emphasized the need for “true confession, responsible attitude, and fair judgment by the law.”