Seoul: A former Army lieutenant general faced a one-month suspension before his retirement over alleged involvement in a cover-up related to the 2023 death of a Marine, military officials revealed on Monday. Lim Ki-hoon, who served as a presidential secretary for national defense and was the president of the Korea National Defense University, was suspended on October 31, shortly before his planned departure from service.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the defense ministry confirmed the imposition of a "heavy disciplinary measure" against Lim in connection with the case. At the time of the Marine's death, Lim was the presidential secretary for national defense under former President Yoon Suk Yeol. He is accused of being involved in altering the initial findings of an investigation into the death of Corporal Chae Su-geun, which occurred during a mission to locate victims of torrential rains in July 2023.

Lim reportedly attended a meeting where he informed former President Yoon of the preliminary investigation results, which implicated a senior Marine commander in Chae's death. Yoon is said to have reacted angrily to the findings and is suspected of applying pressure to absolve the initial suspects.

The suspension resulted in Lim being removed from duty and losing two-thirds of his salary, in addition to limiting his future promotion prospects. His duties as the chief of the defense university were halted in September. Despite being summoned three times by a special counsel team investigating the Marine's death, the case against Lim was ultimately dropped.