Prosecutors Seek Prison Sentences for Military Officers in False Warrant Case

Former military prosecutors charged with falsifying a warrant related to the investigation of Corporal Chae's death have received prison sentence requests during their appeal. On August 28, the Special Prosecutor's Office, led by Lee Myung-hyun, requested a two-year prison sentence and a three-year disqualification for Major Kim Min-jeong during the appeal hearing at the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 7.

For Captain Yeom Bo-hyun, the prosecution sought a one-year prison sentence and a two-year disqualification.

The special prosecutor emphasized the need to review the lower court's ruling, which found the defendants not guilty of falsifying official documents. They argued, "The evidence from the original trial and additional evidence submitted during the appeal clearly shows that the four instances of false information were not accidental but were consistently written with a single purpose in mind."

Regarding Captain Yeom, who was fined in the first trial for failing to attend a National Assembly session, the prosecution noted, "While the court found him guilty of not attending the National Assembly, it ruled him not guilty of the charge of falsifying official documents. We ask that this be corrected in the appeal."

In their final statements, both Major Kim and Captain Yeom maintained their innocence. Major Kim stated, "The special prosecutor claims that the warrant request itself was a conspiracy, but that is not true. Since the indictment, I have faced difficult times, including forced leave, and only recently received a reinstatement. My commitment to serving the country as a military legal officer remains unchanged."

Captain Yeom explained, "Contrary to the special prosecutor's claims, my absence from the National Assembly was due to health issues, not an attempt to cover up the case."

The court has scheduled the sentencing for September 11.

The defendants, who worked in the Defense Ministry's prosecution office, are accused of including false information in a warrant application while investigating former Marine Corps investigation chief Park Jeong-hoon for insubordination after he submitted records related to Corporal Chae's death to the police.

The warrant in question reportedly included claims made by Park that former President Yoon Suk-yeol was enraged and exerted pressure on the investigation, which was described as "delusional," along with allegations that Park deleted phone records and coerced investigators into writing fact verification statements.

In a previous ruling, the lower court found that the contents of the warrant application were merely opinions or judgments and did not constitute the crime of falsifying official documents, acquitting Major Kim.

Captain Yeom was found guilty only of failing to attend the National Assembly in October 2024 and was fined 10 million won.