Park Jung-hun, a former chief investigator of the Marine Corps who was acquitted of insubordination charges in connection with a controversial military report on the 2023 death of a Marine corporal, will ask former President Yoon Suk Yeol to appear as a witness in his appeal trial. 

Park’s legal team announced the decision Friday during the first preparatory hearing for the appeal trial.

The team said there was no response from the former president when questions arose during Park’s first trial as to whether Yoon was angered by the military report on the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun, who was swept away by floodwaters during a search for missing victims in July 2023.  

In appealing the court-martial’s ruling, military prosecutors argued that the military court was wrong to conclude Park had received no orders from Kim Kye-hwan, who at the time was the Marine Corps’ top commander. 

Military prosecutors accused Park in October 2023 of handing over the results of the investigation into Chae’s death to the civilian police, despite orders from Kim to wait for further legal deliberations.