Former defense minister Lee Jong-sup said the multiple calls with President Yoon Suk-yeol last year had nothing to do with alleged orders to charge a Marine investigator for insubordination and defamation after the investigator transferred an internal report on the death of a young Marine to the police.

Lee's attorney spoke to reporters on Wednesday and said one cannot view the phone calls between the former defense chief and President Yoon, or the calls with presidential aides as "abnormal."

He stressed that the allegations raised about the phone calls are groundless, adding it's inappropriate to disclose details about the phone calls.

Phone records show that President Yoon and the ex-defense chief held three phone discussions on August 2, 2023 lasting four minutes and five seconds, 13 minutes and 43 seconds, and 52 seconds, respectively.

The phone calls between the two further raised suspicions regarding allegations that the top office interfered in the investigation of the death of the Marine last year.