A Seoul court on Friday sentenced a former Marine commander to three years in prison for his role in the 2023 death of a young Marine during a search operation.
The Seoul Central District Court found Lim Seong-geun, a retired two-star general and former commander of the 1st Marine Division, guilty of failing to uphold safety obligations. He had ordered the July 2023 search mission in Yecheon without providing life vests or other equipment, despite troops conducting underwater efforts.
Cpl. Chae Su-geun, aged 20, was swept away in a swollen stream and died. The court stated that Lim's orders directly increased risks and that he was most responsible, noting the mission's control had already transferred to the Army.
A special counsel team had sought a five-year sentence. The court also handed an 18-month prison term to Park Sang-hyun, former commander of the 7th Marine Brigade.
