Prosecutors Conducted Search of Police Agency Server Last Year-End... Evidence Collection on 'Directed Investigation' Allegations

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] It has been confirmed that the prosecution investigating allegations of the Blue House and police's involvement in the Ulsan local elections and directive investigations conducted a search and seizure at the National Police Agency.

The Public Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Tae-eun) carried out a search and seizure of internal servers at the National Police Agency on December 24 and 26 of last year, it was reported on the 2nd. Through this search and seizure, the prosecution is known to have secured materials such as the transmission process, approval records, and investigation report documents related to misconduct intelligence concerning former Ulsan Mayor Kim Gi-hyeon, which was issued from the Blue House to the National Police Agency and then to the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency at the end of 2017.

The prosecution is investigating on the grounds that the Blue House intervened in the election by sending intelligence on misconduct around former Mayor Kim to the police before the 2018 local elections to have them investigate, aiming to ensure the election of Song Cheol-ho as Ulsan mayor.

Earlier, the prosecution conducted a search and seizure at the residence and office of Song Byeong-gi, Ulsan City Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs, who is suspected of collecting intelligence related to former Mayor Kim and delivering it to the Blue House, securing materials such as work notebooks.

Searches were also conducted at the Office of the Prime Minister’s Secretariat’s Civil Affairs Office, where former Blue House administrator Moon (52), who received intelligence from Deputy Mayor Song, worked, as well as at the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s Fiscal Management Bureau and the Korea Development Institute (KDI), which are suspected of assisting in designing Mayor Song’s campaign pledges.

The prosecution is reviewing whether to reapply for an arrest warrant for Deputy Mayor Song, which was dismissed by the court at the end of last month. The prosecution had requested an arrest warrant for Deputy Mayor Song on charges including violation of the Public Official Election Act, but the court rejected it citing insufficient evidence of the charges.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.