The special investigation team led by Lee Myeong-hyeon, investigating allegations of interfering with the investigation into the Marine Corps private's death, conducted a search on former Vice Minister of National Defense Shin Beom-cheol on the 10th as part of the 'VIP anger theory' investigation.
The VIP anger theory suggests that former President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed his 'anger' during a meeting at the Presidential Office at 11 a.m. on July 31, 2023, after being briefed on the initial investigation results by the Marine Corps investigative team, questioning, 'Who can serve as the division commander if such a punishment is meted out?' He allegedly postponed the transfer to the police and had the investigation results of the Marine Corps altered.
Shin, the former Vice Minister, has been identified as the individual who sent a text to then-Marine Corps Commander Kim Gye-hwan, stating, 'Change the investigation terminology to report, excluding the suspect, charge details, and crime name. Why doesn’t the Marine Corps listen when spoken to?'
The special investigation team conducted searches starting in the morning of the same day at over 10 locations related to external pressure and interference in the investigation of the private's death, including the Ministry of National Defense and the National Security Office. Additionally, the team secured relevant evidence from searches at former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop, former Presidential Office Defense Secretary Lim Ki-hoon, former Civil Service Discipline Secretary Lee Si-won, and Spokesperson Jeon Ha-gyu of the Ministry of National Defense.