Appeals court upholds 3-yr prison term for ex-commander in 2023 Marine death case
Lim Seong-geun, jailed former commander of the 1st Division of the Marine Corps, is taken to the office of special counsel Lee Myeong-hyeon's team in Seoul, Oct. 27, 2025, to be questioned as a suspect over allegations of government interference in a military probe into the death of a young Marine in 2023. Korea Times photo by Min Kyung-seok
An appellate court on Friday upheld a three-year prison sentence for a former Marine commander over the death of a Marine during a search mission for heavy rain victims in 2023.
The Seoul High Court maintained the lower court's ruling against Lim Seong-geun, a retired two-star general and former head of the 1st Marine Division, convicting him of occupational negligence resulting in death.
A special counsel team had sought a five-year sentence for Lim over the death of 20-year-old Cpl. Chae Su-geun in a swollen stream during the operation in Yecheon, some 160 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in July 2023.
The mother of late Cpl. Chae Su-geun, who was killed during a search mission in a stream for victims of record downpours in 2023, center, speaks to the press in front of the Seoul Central District Court, Friday, after the Seoul High Court maintained the lower court's ruling against Lim Seong-geun, a retired two-star general and former head of the 1st Marine Division, convicting him of occupational negligence resulting in death. Yonhap
The appellate court recognized that Lim's orders at the time for aggressive search efforts failed to consider on-site conditions and resulted in dangerous water operations without safety guidelines or protective equipment.
The court also upheld lower court sentences for other defendants, including an 18-month prison term for Park Sang-hyun, former head of the 7th Marine Brigade, who oversaw field operations at the scene.
Chae's death sparked a major public outcry following allegations that the administration of then President Yoon Suk Yeol attempted to cover up a military investigation into the incident.