Former Deputy Director of the National Security Office Kim Tae-hyo, who attended the meeting at the National Security Office that is the origin of the so-called 'pressure on the Marine Corps investigation' allegation, returned home about 7 hours after appearing for questioning by the special prosecutor team led by Lee Myung-hyun on the 11th.
The Special Prosecutor Team for Marine Corps Deaths (Head of Team Cheon Dae-won) summoned former Vice Administrator Kim as a suspect and interrogated him on charges of interfering with the exercise of rights through abuse of power from 3 p.m. the same day.
Former Vice Administrator Kim left the Marine Corps Special Prosecutor's Office in Seocho District, Seoul, at 10:07 p.m., briefly responding to reporters' questions such as, "Was there really no anger from former President Yoon Suk-yeol during the meeting?" and, "Was the order to withhold the transfer unrelated to former President Yoon?" by saying, "I will speak when there is an opportunity next time. I answered diligently."
The special prosecutor team stated that former Vice Administrator Kim did not exercise his right to refrain from making a statement during the investigation. They added that they would not conduct investigations late at night and that it has not yet been decided whether he will be summoned for further questioning.
Former Vice Administrator Kim is considered a key figure in the foreign affairs and security of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. The so-called 'VIP anger theory' alleges that former President Yoon became furious upon receiving a report on the initial investigation results of a Marine Corps death incident during a National Security Council meeting at around 11 a.m. on July 31, 2023, and exerted pressure on the investigation. It is said that when charges of 'professional negligence resulting in death' were applied to eight individuals, including former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Lim Seong-geun, President Yoon expressed his anger by stating, "If the division commander gets punished for such things, who can serve as a division commander in Korea?"
Earlier, former Vice Administrator Kim rejected the question of whether former President Yoon got angry during the meeting on July 31 at a full committee meeting of the National Assembly's Operations Committee last year, saying, "He never got angry." Responding to another question about why he did not protest to the media that reported the anger theory, he replied, "I don’t respond when it’s too ridiculous."
Meanwhile, the Special Prosecutor Team for Marine Corps Deaths conducted a search and seizure at more than 10 locations, including the Ministry of National Defense, former President Yoon's residence in Acrovista, Seocho District, Seoul, the home of former National Security Office Director Jo Tae-yong, and the office of National Assembly member Lim Jong-deuk (former Vice Minister of the National Security Office).
The special prosecutor team plans to analyze the seized items obtained on the 10th and 11th to confirm the circumstances of the meeting where former President Yoon reportedly got angry, as well as the decision-making process during the retrieval of the investigation records from the Ministry of National Defense prosecutors.