SEOUL - A heated debate unfolded at the House Steering Committee meeting concerning the investigation into a Marine’s death last year.
According to Yonhap News Agency, rival political parties clashed over a proposed bill that would mandate a special counsel investigation into the military's handling of Marine Cpl. Chae Su-geun's death. Chae was killed in July 2023 during a mission related to heavy rainfall rescue operations. The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) has accused the presidential office of tampering with the investigation and destroying evidence, pushing for the re-introduction of a special probe bill that was previously vetoed by President Yoon Suk Yeol. The bill advocates for an investigation into alleged interference by the presidential office and the defense ministry in the initial military probe into Chae’s death. Chung Jin-suk, the presidential chief of staff, argued that the president should veto any bill deemed unconstitutional and emphasized the necessity of bipartisan consensus before passing such a bill. The ruling People Power Party suggested awaiting the results from the ongoing investigations by the police and th e Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials.