Yoo Byung-ho, an Audit and Inspection Commissioner suspected of leaking military secrets related to the West Sea shooting incident, appeared before police on the 26th. This comes approximately three months after the Board of Audit and Inspection's operational reform task force filed a complaint.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Anti-Corruption Investigation Unit summoned Commissioner Yoo to the Mapo office as a suspect for questioning on charges of violating the Military Secret Protection Act. Appearing at 10:13 a.m., Commissioner Yoo stated, "Announcing the audit results of the West Sea shooting incident was entirely appropriate and legitimate," adding, "There is not a single word that the public should not know."
He continued, "I will faithfully explain the various illegal and improper acts by the Audit Board's task force." When asked why he proceeded with distributing materials despite internal opposition, he responded, "That is also false" before heading to the interrogation room.
Commissioner Yoo faces allegations of leaking Grade 2 military secrets by distributing press releases related to the West Sea civil servant shooting incident in October 2022 and December 2023, during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. The press releases contained claims that the Moon Jae-in administration neglected the situation and then concealed and distorted facts to frame it as a "voluntary defection to the North."
The releases also included response movements by the Ministry of National Defense and National Intelligence Service, as well as intelligence obtained by the military regarding the victim's "expressed intention to defect."
The West Sea civil servant shooting occurred in September 2020. Lee Dae-jun, a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who went missing near Yeonpyeong Island, was killed by North Korean soldiers. His body was reportedly burned at sea.
Internal processes had decided against releasing the press materials on this case. However, allegations have emerged that Commissioner Yoo, who was then Secretary General, and others overturned this decision and pushed ahead with distribution.
In response, the task force filed complaints with police in November last year against seven individuals, including former Audit Board Chairman Choi Jae-hae and Commissioner Yoo, for leaking military secrets. Military secrets can be disclosed after review by the Ministry of National Defense's Security Review Committee. However, the task force believes this case did not undergo such review.
Commissioner Yoo has also been separately charged with investigating employees who opposed him and placing them on standby status. Police plan to coordinate the summoning schedule for former Chairman Choi based on Commissioner Yoo's statements from today's questioning.