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South Korea's top court upholds commander's sentence over Marine's death

Lim Seong-geun's three-year prison term is final, but the bereaved family says the punishment falls short of the defendants' responsibility.

Channel: MBCNEWS ·

South KoreaStory of October 27, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? One of MBCNEWS's most watched videos since yesterday, with 21,481 views.

MBCNEWS: The news division of MBC, a publicly owned South Korean broadcaster. 6.2M subscribers and 31B views.

[속보] 임성근 대법원서 징역 3년 확정.. '채상병 순직' 3년 3개월만 - [MBC 뉴스속보] MBC뉴스 2026년 10월 27일

Things we can learn from the video

Press to jump

0:02An earlier report explains the appeals court's decision to retain Lim's three-year prison sentence.
2:32Coverage revisits the initial guilty verdicts against Lim and other Marine officers.
5:15The special prosecutor seeks a five-year sentence, while Chae's family urges stronger punishment.
7:12The special investigation announces charges against dozens of people over alleged interference and related conduct.
16:38Chae's mother's letter marks the approaching date when her son would have completed military service.
18:53An anniversary report reconstructs how the dangerous search in floodwater unfolded.

South Korea's Supreme Court has upheld a three-year prison sentence for former Marine division commander Lim Seong-geun over a Marine's death during a flood search, bringing the prosecution to a final judgment more than three years after the incident.

South Korea's Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) reports that the court rejected appeals from both Lim and the special prosecutor, finding no legal error in the lower court's ruling on charges including occupational negligence causing death and injury.

Corporal Chae Su-geun died on July 19, 2023, during a search operation in flood-hit Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang Province. According to the report, Marines were sent to search without life jackets and other safety equipment. The case centered on commanders' responsibility for the conditions in which the troops worked.

MBC recounts the appeals court's finding that Lim, as the highest-ranking commander ultimately responsible for his troops' lives and physical safety, neglected his duty of care, resulting in death and injuries. Prison sentences for two other former commanders were also upheld, along with a suspended sentence for another officer.

Chae's family had sought a heavier punishment. In a statement following the final ruling, they said the judiciary's decision did not meet the expectations of the family or the public and expressed profound distress at a judgment they felt disregarded the parents' grief.

The upload combines the breaking Supreme Court announcement with earlier reports, rather than presenting every development as new. Those segments trace the initial conviction, the prosecutor's request for a five-year sentence and a wider special investigation into alleged interference with the original inquiry. MBC reports that the special investigation ended with charges against dozens of people; those separate allegations are not the same as the negligence conviction now upheld.

Archival footage also preserves Lim's denial that he ordered an underwater search. Later, the compilation returns to Chae's mother, including a letter written as the date when her son would have completed his military service approached. Her account describes a family cut off from friends and ordinary life after his death.

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