SEOUL, Additional questioning is necessary for Defense Minister-turned-Ambassador to Australia Lee Jong-sup for suspected abuse of power related to the death of a young Marine last year, the anti-corruption investigative body said Tuesday. The remarks from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) came days after Lee left for Australia despite an ongoing CIO probe into allegations that he exerted undue influence on the Marine Corps' investigation into the death of a young Marine during a post-flood search for civilian victims. Lee, who served as defense minister, left Sunday to take office as ambassador to Australia, two days after the CIO's exit ban on him was lifted by the justice ministry at his request. "Additional investigation into Lee is absolutely necessary," a CIO official told reporters during a briefing, saying the office's firm stance is that in-person questioning is needed in Lee's case. The official said it will not be very difficult to question Lee in person desp ite his overseas presence because a diplomat often returns home for official duties, hinting at the possibility of a potential summons of Lee for questioning. Critics, including the main opposition Democratic Party, say it makes no sense to appoint a suspect as ambassador to a foreign country. The presidential office said it did not know of the investigation and the exit ban before naming Lee to be the envoy. The justice ministry on Monday defended its decision to lift the exit ban on Lee, saying there were no grounds to retain it any longer, given that the exit ban had been renewed several times for Lee since September, yet no summons for questioning had ever taken place. Source: Yonhap News Agency
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