Former National Security Office Vice Administrator Kim Tae-hyo reportedly testified in the recent special investigation of the deceased Marines that he 'saw former President Yoon Suk-yeol furious during a presidential office meeting on July 31, 2023' regarding the deceased Marines incident. Previously, Vice Administrator Kim stated in the National Assembly that 'former President Yoon was never furious,' indicating a change in position.

Kim Tae-hyo, the first deputy director of the National Security Office facing charges of abuse of power and obstruction of the exercise of rights, attends the investigation as a suspect at the Special Prosecutor's Office for deceased Marines in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 11th./Courtesy of News1

According to the legal community on the 13th, Vice Administrator Kim appeared as a suspect in the special investigation regarding the deceased Marines from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the 11th. During this session, Vice Administrator Kim reportedly stated, 'I think I heard former President Yoon getting angry (at the meeting).'

Vice Administrator Kim is one of the attendees of the presidential office meeting that took place on July 31, 2023. At that meeting, the so-called VIP anger theory suggests that former President Yoon became furious upon receiving a report about applying charges of negligent homicide against former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Lim Sung-keun in connection with the deceased Marines incident and that the case would be referred to the police.

Subsequently, then-Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop postponed the police referral of the case, and former Commander Lim was cleared of charges, but the special investigation is probing allegations of outside pressure from the presidential office during the process.

Earlier, during a meeting of the National Assembly's 운영위원회 in July last year, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Ko Min-jeong asked, 'Did President Yoon get furious during the National Security Office meeting?' Vice Administrator Kim replied, 'That never happened.'

However, he provided new testimony during the special investigation.

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