Yoo Gyun-hye, former director of planning and management at the Ministry of National Defense, and Lee Gap-jun, former head of the ministry's organizational management, received suspended sentences for submitting false documents to the National Assembly regarding the investigation into the death of a Marine.
On November 6, the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 27, led by Judge Woo In-seong, decided to suspend the sentences for Yoo and Lee, who were charged with forgery of public records and the use of forged public records. A suspended sentence allows the court to delay sentencing for defendants deemed to have committed minor offenses, provided they do not commit any further offenses within two years.
Yoo and Lee were indicted by the Special Investigation Team for the Death of the Marine (led by Special Prosecutor Lee Myung-hyun) for submitting a false response to a written inquiry from a member of the National Assembly in August 2023. The response stated that there had been no official review of the military police restructuring plan.
The prosecution had sought a two-year prison sentence for Yoo and a six-month sentence with a one-year probation for Lee during the trial.
The court acknowledged that the submitted documents contained false information and that their submission through the electronic distribution system constituted forgery of public records. The court stated, "The requirement for government agencies to provide information to the National Assembly is an important legislative tool, and since the defendants agreed to respond to the inquiry, they should have answered truthfully." It noted that Yoo's role as the planning and management director was a factor against leniency.
However, the court decided to suspend the sentences after considering the circumstances surrounding the offenses and the principle of proportionality. It stated, "There were circumstances that made it difficult to respond truthfully regarding unofficial matters related to the military police reduction plan," and took into account that the defendants, who had no prior criminal records, could face significant disadvantages if sentenced to imprisonment.
This case arose from the investigation into the death of Corporal Chae in July 2023, during which the Marine Corps investigation team identified eight individuals, including former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Lim Seong-geun, as suspects of professional negligence leading to death. It is alleged that former President Yoon Suk-yeol reacted angrily and ordered a reduction in military investigative personnel.
Yoo and Lee had prepared a report on the reduction of military investigative personnel, but after the review was halted and the report discarded, they submitted a denial in response to the National Assembly inquiry.
Meanwhile, the first trial for key defendants, including former President Yoon Suk-yeol and former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop, who were also indicted for alleged pressure on the investigation and abuse of power, is scheduled to continue on November 11 in the same court.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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