South Korea Seeks Arrest of Ex-Military Intel Chief in Death Probe

South Korea's special prosecutor's team has sought an arrest warrant for Hwang Yoo-seong, the former head of the Defense Counterintelligence Command (DICC), on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of justice. The allegations stem from the DICC's alleged involvement in the handling of the death of Private First Class Chae.

The special prosecutor's office reportedly believes the DICC systematically interfered with the investigation into Private Chae's death. Hwang Yoo-seong, who led the DICC at the time of the incident, is suspected of colluding with a DICC officer dispatched to the Marine Corps to influence the case.

Evidence suggests that Hwang Yoo-seong and the dispatched officer had 14 phone conversations between August 3 and August 24, 2023. This period followed the Ministry of National Defense's retrieval of the initial investigation records from the Marine Corps and preceded the Defense Investigation Agency's re-examination and transfer of those records to the police.

Previously, the special investigation team had questioned Hwang Yoo-seong as a witness. It was revealed that he had made subsequent calls to then-Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-sup, then-National Security Advisor Cho Tae-yong, and other high-ranking officials after Private Chae's death. The special prosecutor's team also questioned former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup last month regarding these connections.