Colonel Park Jeong-hoon is innocent of the first trial...Military Court "Marine Commander has no power to order transfer."

Colonel Park Jung-hoon, a former Marine Corps investigation team leader charged with defamation of mutiny and superiority in connection with the death of a marine corporal, was acquitted in the first trial.

The Central District Court of Justice did not accept all the prosecution's indictment at the first trial held today.

The military court said in its ruling that former Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop's order to suspend the police transfer of the investigation records of Chae's death through former Marine Corps commander Kim Gye-hwan constitutes an order, but holding the transfer without jurisdiction in the military court is an order without justification.

He added that the Marine Corps investigation team is obliged to transfer to the police, and the Marine Corps commander has command and supervision but does not have the authority to order the suspension.

Regarding the allegations of defamation against former Minister Kim, he was also found not guilty, saying that the evidence submitted by the prosecutor alone does not prove that Colonel Park's remarks were false.

Earlier in October 2023, the military prosecution indicted Colonel Park on charges of mutiny and other charges, and demanded a three-year prison term in the final trial in November last year.

As Colonel Park has pleaded not guilty to allegations of external pressure during the process of holding the transfer, attention is also being paid to the impact of the high-ranking government official's criminal investigation on the alleged external pressure of the death of Chae Sang-byung.