A floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea Park Chan-dae speaks during party meeting at the National Assembly, July 2. Yonhap

The floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Tuesday condemned the alleged state interference in a Marine Corps investigation into the death of a young Marine last year as the "worst manipulation of state affairs" since former President Park Geun-hye.

Park Chan-dae made the remark reiterating the DPK's calls for a special counsel to look into allegations that the presidential office and the defense ministry inappropriately interfered in the Marines' investigation into the death of Cpl. Chae Su-geun, killed during a search mission for victims of heavy downpours in July 2023.

"There is mounting evidence that President Yoon Suk Yeol, the first lady and the presidential office falsely accused Marine Col. Park Jung-hun," he said during a party meeting. "If proven true, it will be the worst manipulation of state affairs since one involving former President Park Geun-hye and Choi Soon-sil."

Park also stressed that as many as 900,000 people have signed the National Assembly's petition for a motion to impeach Yoon.

"The number is expected to surpass 1 million today at the earliest or tomorrow at the latest," he said, claiming that Yoon's earlier remarks indicating that the 2022 crowd crush in Itaewon could have been "manipulated" had further incited public anger. (Yonhap)