▲ Former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae (Yonhap)

ex-justice minister-probe

Special counsel to question ex-justice minister in Marine death probe

SEOUL, Oct. 17 (Yonhap) -- A special counsel team said Friday it plans to question former Justice Minister Park Sung-jae next week as a suspect as part of its investigation into allegations of government interference in a military probe surrounding the 2023 death of a young Marine.

Park is scheduled to appear at the office of special counsel Lee Myeong-hyeon in southern Seoul on Oct. 24 to face questioning.

The former justice minister is accused of facilitating former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup's departure to Australia last year while Lee was under investigation over allegations of government interference in a military probe into the 2023 death of the Marine during an operation to search for flood victims.

The former defense minister was under an exit ban at that time, but it was quickly lifted shortly after Lee was appointed as South Korea's ambassador to Canberra.

The special counsel suspects Park of assisting Lee, who is considered a key suspect in the alleged pressure on the military probe, in leaving the country to avoid investigation.

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