Court to decide on arrest warrants for former CIO prosecutors accused of obstructing Marine death probe
Published: 17 Nov. 2025, 15:51
![Former Chief Prosecutor Kim Sun-kyu arrives at the Seoul Central District Court, southern Seoul, for his pretrial detention hearings on Nov. 17. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/17/1e7de22f-fc8a-486b-b739-78fd3f040e35.jpg)
Former Chief Prosecutor Kim Sun-kyu arrives at the Seoul Central District Court, southern Seoul, for his pretrial detention hearings on Nov. 17. [NEWS1]
A court is expected to decide as early as Monday whether to issue arrest warrants for two former senior prosecutors from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), who are accused of obstructing the investigation into the death of Marine Cpl. Chae Su-geun.
The Seoul Central District Court held pretrial detention hearings on Monday morning for former Chief Prosecutor Kim Sun-kyu at 10 a.m. and former Deputy Chief Prosecutor Song Chang-jin at 11 a.m. Both are accused of abusing their authority by deliberately delaying and obstructing the investigation while serving as acting chief and deputy chief of the CIO. This marks the first time since the CIO’s founding in 2021 that its prosecutors have been subject to a court’s pretrial detention review.
Cpl. Chae died in July 2023 during search operations for victims of heavy rains in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang, in July 2023 without life vests and other safety equipment. He died after being swept away in a swollen stream. A special probe team has been investigating into the line of order that led to his death.
Kim declined to answer reporters’ questions as he arrived at the courthouse on Monday morning, including whether he had instructed investigators not to summon key figures in the case before the general election. Song also remained silent in response to questions.
According to the special probe counsel, Kim, while serving as acting director during February and March 2024, pressured investigators not to summon key individuals involved in the Cpl. Chae case ahead of the April 10 general election. Prosecutors also believe he tried to rush the case in May last year to create grounds for vetoing a special counsel bill related to the Marine’s death, which was pending in the National Assembly at the time.
![Former Deputy Chief Prosecutor Song Chang-jin arrives at the special probe counsel's office in southern Seoul on Oct. 29. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/11/17/eacda327-f878-4373-a570-4be8ce5e93a8.jpg)
Former Deputy Chief Prosecutor Song Chang-jin arrives at the special probe counsel's office in southern Seoul on Oct. 29. [NEWS1]
Song is suspected of interfering with a search warrant request targeting the personal phone of former President Yoon Suk Yeol and an internal line at the presidential office while serving as acting deputy director. Investigators also suspect Song ordered the lifting of an overseas travel ban for former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup when Lee was nominated as ambassador to Australia in March last year. Song is further accused of perjury for falsely stating at a National Assembly hearing in July that he was unaware until later that Lee Jong-ho — former CEO of Black Pearl Invest, and a past legal client — was implicated in lobbying efforts to protect those involved in the Cpl. Chae case, which delayed his own recusal from the investigation.
Both prosecutors are considered close to former President Yoon. In 2013, Kim publicly posted a message on the prosecution’s internal bulletin board opposing disciplinary action against Yoon, who at the time was leading the National Intelligence Service election-meddling probe. Song previously worked with Yoon at the Daegu District Prosecutors’ Office in 2009 and at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in 2011.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM BO-REUM [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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