The special counsel team investigating the Yoon Suk Yeol government’s alleged interference in a 2023 probe into the death of a Marine has decided to withdraw its appeal in the insubordination case against Park Jung-hun, a former chief investigator of the Marine Corps.

The team, led by Special Counsel Lee Myeong-hyeon, announced the decision on Wednesday, stating that military prosecutors had abused their prosecutorial power by indicting Park on insubordination charges. 

The probe team, which took over the case from the military prosecution last week, said that Park, as the head of the Marine Corps investigative team, lawfully conducted the initial investigation of the Marine’s death and transferred the case records to the police in accordance with regulations. 

Park was indicted for insubordination after submitting the probe results to the police despite orders from the Marine Corps’ top commander to wait for more legal deliberations.

He was acquitted in the first trial, but military prosecutors appealed the ruling and the case was under review at the Seoul High Court.