Picture of the Day: Top Marine Investigators Refuses to Answer Questions
Col. Park Jung-hun, a former chief of the Marine Corps’ investigation unit, meets the press in front of the military prosecution’s office in Seoul on Aug. 11, 2023, refusing to undergo the military prosecution’s questioning over his alleged insubordination related to an internal probe into last month’s tragic death of a young soldier. (Yonhap)
It seems that GIKorea has left out a lot of the background story behind the Marine in the photo and GI Korea’s post makes the guy look like bad.
That’s part of the story.
The guy is a whistleblower and made the public the allegation that he was pressured by the Defense Ministry into removing the Commanding Officer of the 1st ROKMC Division from the list of those who are being investigated for the death of the Marine who drowned during rescue operation after the flood and not turn over the investigation to the Police.
For reference, non-combat military deaths are to be investigated by the Police after initial investigation by the military.
As for the CO of the 1st ROKMC Division, he is alleged to have said that he liked the photo op of Marines wearing red ROKMC T-shirts and going deep into the water and then issued orders for all Marines participating in the rescue and cleanup to wear rubber rain boots and T-shirts and to go deeper into the water.
According to company level commanders, they were denied requests to have their Marines wear combat boots and life jackets during rescue operations, because it clashed with orders from “higher-up”.
That is in addition to alleged pressue from senior officers to go into deeper water without safety gear because of those orders.