On July 18, the Marine Corps special prosecutor investigating lobbying allegations surrounding former 1st Marine Division Commander Lim Seong-geun carried out extensive raids on prominent figures in South Korea’s conservative evangelical community, including Pastors Kim Jang-hwan and Lee Young-hoon.
According to legal sources, the special investigation team raided Far East Broadcasting in Mapo-gu and Yoido Full Gospel Church in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. The targets of the raids included Pastor Kim Jang-hwan, the chairman of Far East Broadcasting and a senior figure in Korea’s Christian community, and Pastor Lee Young-hoon of Yoido Full Gospel Church.
The investigation team is looking into whether these evangelical leaders may have served as intermediaries in lobbying efforts to shield Lim from prosecution. Following the death of Corporal Chae Soo-geun in July 2023, Lim was initially listed as a suspect for involuntary manslaughter due to professional negligence but was later excluded from the suspect list. Prosecutors suspect that these church leaders may have played a role in that outcome.
A spokesperson for the special prosecutor stated during a briefing, “We have confirmed circumstances in which lobbying efforts started from Commander Lim and his associates and were connected through multiple channels to former President Yoon and people around the Presidential Office. We are focusing our raids on individuals whose communications during key moments of the case require verification.”
In religious and political circles, Pastor Kim Jang-hwan is known as a spiritual mentor to former President Yoon Suk-yeol. He attended Yoon’s presidential prayer breakfast and even met with First Lady Kim Keon-hee during Yoon’s presidential campaign. Yoon, during the 2022 campaign, famously appeared with the Chinese character “王” (meaning “king”) written on his palm during a TV debate, which sparked controversy. To address the incident, he attended a service at Yoido Full Gospel Church and met with Pastor Lee Young-hoon. Even after becoming president, Yoon reportedly continued to meet with Pastor Lee, then the head of the Korean Christian Federation.
The special investigation team also searched the residences and offices of several others on the same day, including Lim’s home, People Power Party lawmaker Lee Chul-gyu, Marine Corps chaplain Major Baek Myung-kyu, and lawyer Ko Seok. These actions were part of a broad investigation into lobbying efforts to protect Lim.
According to reports, prosecutors believe Chaplain Baek may have acted as a key link connecting Lim to former President Yoon and his inner circle. Lim, known to be a devout Christian, reportedly called Baek on July 31, 2023 — the day of a National Security Office meeting when reports surfaced that President Yoon had expressed anger about the Chae case. Investigators are focusing on the possibility that Baek may have mobilized his religious network to lobby the Presidential Office on Lim’s behalf. That same day, records indicate Pastor Kim Jang-hwan had a phone call with lawmaker Lee Chul-gyu, a prominent Yoon ally.
Pastor Kim previously met Lim during a visit to the 1st Marine Division in Pohang, where he gave a chapel service.
Additionally, Ko Seok — a former chief military judge and classmate of former President Yoon from the Judicial Research and Training Institute — is also under investigation. He reportedly spoke with then-Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup on August 3, 2023, the day after the military retrieved the police’s investigative records on Corporal Chae’s case.
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