SEOUL: Former Marine Corps 1st Division commander Lim Seong-geun was sentenced to three years in prison on Friday (May 8) after being held criminally responsible for the death of Marine Cpl. Chae Su-geun during a flood search operation in 2023.
The Seoul Central District Court found him guilty of professional negligence resulting in death and violating a military order, for his 2023 order for Marines to conduct an underwater search for missing people at a flood-hit site in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province.
The soldiers were not provided with safety equipment such as life jackets, which the court concluded led to Chae’s death.
Lim was also accused of continuing to direct the search operation despite an order transferring operational control to the Army.
"If the defendant had simply said, ‘Do not enter the water,’ members of the artillery battalion would not have attempted an underwater search," the court said."If safety equipment such as life jackets had been provided, fellow Marines would have been able to rescue the victim quickly."
The court said that Lim’s emphasis on aggressive search efforts in pursuit of tangible results contributed to the fatal accident.
"We believe there is no room for the defendant to feel wronged by this punishment," it added.
The court was especially critical of Lim’s conduct after the accident, noting lengthy email and text messages sent in December 2024 to Chae’s still-grieving parents. He claimed that the underwater search had been ordered by Lee Yong-min, the former commander of the 7th Artillery Battalion.
"In our long experience on the bench, we have never seen a person like this," the court said. "He aggravated the pain of the victim’s family."
Park Sang-hyun, former commander of the Marine Corps’ 7th Brigade who was also indicted alongside Lim, was sentenced to 18 months of confinement. Choi Jin-kyu, former commander of the 11th Artillery Battalion, was also sentenced to 18 months of confinement, while Lee Yong-min, former commander of the 7th Artillery Battalion, received 10 months of confinement.
A former headquarters company commander of the 7th Artillery Battalion, identified only by the surname Chang, was sentenced to eight months of confinement, suspended for two years.
Park, Choi and Lee, who received prison terms, were taken into custody in court Friday.
The ruling marks the first sentence handed down in a series of cases investigated by the special counsel over Chae’s death and allegations surrounding the handling of the initial Marine Corps investigations.
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and former national security adviser Cho Tae-yong also under trial in relation to the case. They are charged with exerting pressure on the Marine Corps investigation team and the Defense Ministry’s investigation headquarters, which were handling the initial inquiry into Chae’s death.
"There is still much more truth left to uncover," said Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Park Joo-min who spoke to reporters after the sentencing. "We must still determine why the pressure was exerted on the investigation, for what purpose and by whom.”
The victim's mother told reporters that the sentencing was disappointing.
"We had hoped the court would show the full weight of the law, offering us at least some comfort after we lost our son, who is more precious than our own lives," the victims mother said.
"We want Lim Seong-geun, Park Sang-hyun and Choi Jin-kyu to face serious punishment," she added. "I can never forgive them." - The Korea Herald/ANN
