An attorney representing South Korea's Ambassador to Australia Lee Jong-sup said the official handled his duties fairly according to the authority granted by law, emphasizing that he did nothing illegal whatsoever. The claim refers to accusations Lee interfered in an investigation into the death of a Marine.

Attorney Kim Jae-hoon made the statement in a meeting with reporters on Wednesday after submitting an 11-page document calling for the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials(CIO) to quickly summon Lee, who formerly served as defense chief.

Attorney Kim said he requested for the investigation to proceed as quickly as possible, emphasizing that all the evidence had been brought forth, and he questioned the ongoing suspicions surrounding Ambassador Lee.

In particular, he said that Lee never exerted pressure to remove the division commander’s name from the list of those suspected of manslaughter in the death of Marine Corporal Chae Su-geun.  The Marine died after being swept away by raging waters while searching for people who had gone missing in a flood.

Kim added that the Marine Corps investigation team does not have investigative authority, hence, the logic of external pressure on the investigation cannot be established, stressing that the accusation is a political tactic.