South Korea's ex-President Yoon allegedly used envoy appointment to shield former defence minister from Marine death probe, indictment shows

FILE PHOTO: Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, centre, arrives at a court to attend a hearing to review his arrest warrant requested by special prosecutors in Seoul, South Korea, on July 9, 2025. - Pool Photo via AP

SEOUL: Former President Yoon Suk Yeol rushed to appoint former Defence Minister Lee Jong-sup as the top envoy to Australia in 2023 to help him evade an investigation into a Marine's death, a special counsel's indictment showed Saturday (Nov 29).

The ousted president, already on trial for his botched martial law attempt, was further indicted earlier this week for allegedly helping Lee escape from the widening probe that centred on suspicions of negligence by senior Marine leadership.