The decision of the police not to disclose the investigation results of the late lawmaker Chae Sang-bong’s death is being questioned by Park Chan-dae, the acting president and interim floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. He pointed out the need for a special prosecutor, expressing disbelief in the police’s decision. Park Chan-dae criticized the police during a parliamentary meeting, questioning why they would keep the investigation results secret if the investigation was conducted transparently and fairly. He emphasized that such behavior by the police only generates distrust in the investigation results and underscores the need for a special prosecutor.
On the other hand, Jung Chung-rae, a senior member of the Democratic Party, expressed concern about whether the public would accept the police’s investigation announcement regarding the conclusion of not prosecuting former Marine Corps 1st Division commander Lim Sung-geun. He questioned why the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is taking such desperate measures to protect one Marine Corps commander and called it a mystery.
The Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency announced the investigation results of Chae Sang-bong’s death case, involving nine military officials including former commander Lim, who is suspected of causing death by work negligence. The decision of not prosecuting Lim was made by a police review committee composed of external experts. However, the police decided not to disclose the specifics of the committee members, the detailed review process, and the voting results.
In addition, Park Chan-dae criticized the personnel appointed by President Yoon, describing them as dismal. He expressed doubts about whether Kang Min-soo, the candidate for the head of the Seoul National Tax Service, who denigrated the Gwangju Uprising as the Gwangju Incident and glorified the December 12 military coup, could work impartially with a biased historical perspective. He also criticized Lee Jin-seok, the nominee for the new Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, as an extremist who supported the planning theory of the Itaewon murder case and insulted the victims of the May 18 Gwangju Uprising, questioning the intention of turning public broadcasting into a far-right YouTube channel.