SEOUL: Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol rushed to appoint former Defence Minister Lee Jong-sup as the top envoy to Australia in 2023 to help him evade an investigation into a Marine's death, a special counsel's indictment showed Saturday.
The ousted president, already on trial for his botched martial law attempt, was further indicted earlier this week for allegedly helping Lee escape from the widening probe that centred on suspicions of negligence by senior Marine leadership.
The indictment, obtained by Yonhap News Agency, alleges that in September 2023, Yoon discussed with his national security adviser, Cho Tae-yong, sending Lee to an ambassadorial post. That was when Lee had offered to step down as minister amid growing controversy over the young Marine's death, reports Yonhap news agency.