South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol appointed former defense minister Lee Jong-sup as the country’s ambassador to Australia on March 4, despite Lee being banned from overseas travel due to allegations of abuse of power related to the death of a marine, Corporal Chae Su-geun, in July last year. The opposition Democratic Party (DP) criticized the move, claiming that appointing Lee as ambassador amounted to an attempt by the president to help a suspected accomplice escape overseas.

The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued Lee a diplomatic passport on Thursday as the new top envoy to Australia, which the ministry stated was customary for newly appointed chiefs of diplomatic missions. The ministry added that Lee was “not subject” to administrative sanction measures under the country’s Passport Act. However, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) summoned Lee for questioning on the same day regarding allegations that he exerted influence to hold off the findings of an internal probe by the Marine Corps on Chae’s death.