The detention hearing of a former leader accused of interfering with a wrongful death investigation has wrapped up after two hours and 20 minutes.

The Seoul Central District Court held a hearing until around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday on whether former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup should be detained on charges that he helped former President Yoon Suk Yeol intervene in the probe of a Marine's death during a heavy rain search operation in 2023.

The special counsel team investigating the incident brought six charges, including power abuse and obstruction of the exercise of rights, and sought to convince the court that Lee should be held in custody before his trial and that he allegedly blocked the transfer of records to civilian police from an initial Marine inquest into the corporal's death.

Prosecutors said the deferment was ordered between July 31, 2023, when Yoon got angry about the military's initial findings, and August 2, when the files were ultimately retrieved from the civilian police.

The files, according to the prosecution, recommended that eight officials be charged with occupational negligence resulting in death, and Lee put the brakes on their transfer after Yoon's chastisement.

The court is expected to rule on the former minister’s pretrial detention late Thursday at the earliest.