Seoul, July 30 South Korea's former National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Cho Tae-yong has acknowledged former President Yoon Suk Yeol flew into a rage when he was briefed on the results of an initial probe into the death of a Marine in 2023, reversing his yearslong denial, legal sources said Wednesday.
Cho made the admission during questioning by special counsel Lee Myeong-hyeon's team Tuesday as a suspect over allegations of government interference in the Marine Corps' investigation into the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun in July 2023, according to the sources.
Chae was swept away by an overflowing stream while on a search mission for torrential rain victims.
Cho was one of the senior officials who attended a meeting that month when Yoon allegedly erupted in anger upon hearing the preliminary probe results that found a senior Marine commander responsible for Chae's death.
The case centers on allegations the investigation results were later changed to clear the initial suspects of responsibility.
Cho had previously claimed at the National Assembly in August 2023 that the meeting did not involve a briefing on Chae's death and denied that Yoon had become enraged, Yonhap news agency reported.
With Cho's admission, four of the seven people who attended the meeting have now acknowledged Yoon's alleged outrage during questioning. The special counsel team plans to question the meeting's three other participants soon.
Earlier on Tuesday, the NIS Director appeared before a special counsel team for questioning over allegations of government interference in an initial probe into the 2023 death of a Marine.
Cho arrived at special counsel Lee Myeong-hyeon's office in southern Seoul as a suspect in the case over power abuse allegations in connection to the Marine Corps' investigation in 2023
As he entered the building, the former NIS director said he would "diligently" take part in the session but did not respond to reporters' questions.
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