Seoul Court Sentences Ex-Marine Division Commander to 3 Years Over 2023 Troop Death in Flooded Stream

A Seoul court sentenced Lim Seong-geun to three years in prison on May 8, 2026. The Seoul Central District Court found the retired two-star general and former commander of the 1st Marine Division guilty of failing to uphold safety obligations during a search operation. The special counsel team had sought a five-year prison sentence for Lim Seong-geun.

He ordered the operation in Yecheon, 160 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in July 2023. The search proceeded without providing life vests and other safety equipment. Cpl. Chae Su-geun died after being swept away in a swollen stream during the operation.

The court ruled that Lim Seong-geun's orders increased operational risks. It determined he did not fulfill his professional duties of providing safety equipment while aware troops were carrying out underwater search efforts. The court found Lim Seong-geun guilty of making orders to troops despite the mission's operational control having been transferred to the Army.

"Due to this accident, Chae, a 20-year-old Marine, lost his precious life four months after enlisting," the court said. The court stated that Lim Seong-geun's unreasonable and wrongful orders directly led troops to enter the stream. "Had (he) left the operation without intervening, it appears the search could have proceeded normally, making (him) most responsible for the incident," it added.

The court also sentenced Park Sang-hyun, former commander of the 7th Marine Brigade, to an 18-month prison term without forced labor. Yonhap reported that the special counsel team was launched in 2025 to investigate Chae Su-geun's death and allegations that the administration of former President Yoon Suk Yeol sought to interfere with a military probe.

An initial probe named Lim Seong-geun as one of eight suspects in the case.

A follow-up investigation by defense ministry investigators dropped Lim Seong-geun from the list of suspects. A file photo of Lim Seong-geun was taken on Aug. 19, 2025, at a special counsel team's office in southern Seoul.