Park Jung-hun, a former chief investigator of the Marine Corps, has been acquitted of insubordination charges in connection with a controversial military report on the 2023 death of a Marine corporal.

A court-martial issued the ruling on Thursday for Park, who was also acquitted of a defamation charge in relation to the investigation that followed after the corporal was swept away by a torrent during a search for missing flood victims in July 2023.

In October, military prosecutors accused Park of handing over the results of the investigation to the civilian police despite orders from Kim Kye-hwan, who was then the Marine Corps’ top commander, to wait for further legal deliberations. 

Park was also accused of defaming then-defense minister Lee Jong-sup by distorting Lee’s remarks to make it seem as though Lee had issued improper orders. 

Military prosecutors had requested a three-year prison sentence for Park in November.