Supreme Court finalizes 3-yr prison term for ex-commander over Marine's death

The Supreme Court has finalized a three-year prison term for former Marine commander Lim Seong-geun, who was convicted of negligently causing the death of Marine Cpl. Chae Su-geun in July 2023. Lim, who commanded the Marine Corps 1st Division, was found guilty of occupational negligence and violating orders under the Military Criminal Act, following search operations for heavy rain victims in Yecheon, South Korea.

The top court upheld the lower court's three-year sentence, finding no errors in the legal interpretation. Lim was indicted by special counsel Lee Myeong-hyeon's team in November 2023, accused of sending Marines on the search mission without providing necessary safety equipment like life vests and for disobeying orders to transfer operational control to the Army during the search.