A special counsel team investigating government interference in an initial probe into the 2023 death of a Marine will soon secure communication records from secured phones used by former President Yoon Suk Yeol and the former first lady.

The special counsel team led by Lee Myeong-hyeon disclosed on Wednesday during a briefing that they executed a search and seizure warrant targeting the presidential office and the Ministry of National Defense last week.

As a result, the team expects to receive the secure phone records of 21 key figures involved in the case, including former President Yoon, former first lady Kim Keon-hee, former National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong, former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, and former Former Marine Corps First Division Commander Lim Seong-geun.

They plan to analyze the communication records from the period when the presidential office is suspected to have intervened in the investigation immediately following the death of Marine Corporal Chae Su-geun in July 2023.

The team has been investigating allegations that Yoon flew into a rage after being briefed on the results of a military probe that found a senior Marine commander responsible for the death of Chae, and that he exerted pressure on the probe to cover up details surrounding the incident.