Photo : YONHAP News
Police have decided not to recommend charges against a former Marine commander accused of holding responsibility for the death of a young soldier during a heavy rain search and rescue operation last year.
The Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency announced Monday the decision not to refer Lim Seong-geun, former commander of the Marine Corps’ First Division, to the prosecution.
Lim has been accused of alleged power abuse and causing death by occupational and gross negligence.
According to the police investigation into the case, it was the commander of the Eleventh Artillery battalion who had arbitrarily changed the search guideline, which has been blamed for causing the Marine’s death.
Lim, despite being in the position to chastise subordinates for shortcomings in their execution of operations, had not directly communicated with or given orders to the battalion commander, the police said.
Although the search guideline for officers on the day of the Marine’s death was to go into waters only as high as the top of their boots, the battalion commander had reportedly ordered them to go in waist deep.
The police have decided to refer six others, including the head of the First Division’s Seventh Brigade and the Eleventh Artillery battalion commander, on charges of causing death by occupational and gross negligence.