"Even If They Leave..." Yoon Seok-yeol's Prot?g? Ahead of Greeting, Accelerating Regime Investigation

Prosecutors Conduct Raids, Summons, and Maintain Indictments Ahead of Mid-Level Leadership Changes
Legal Community: "Reflects Prosecutor General Yoon's Determination to Preserve Investigation"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The investigation team at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, which lost its leadership due to high-level personnel changes in the prosecution, is continuing its investigation without wavering ahead of the upcoming mid-level personnel reshuffle. The teams led by Shin Bong-su, Deputy Chief of the 2nd Division for Public Investigation 2, and Kim Tae-eun, Head of the Public Investigation 2 Division, who are investigating allegations of Blue House ordered investigations and interference in the Ulsan mayoral election, as well as the team led by Song Kyung-ho, Deputy Chief of the 3rd Division, and Ko Hyung-gon, Head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation 2 Division, who are investigating allegations involving the family of former Minister Cho, are those teams. These individuals, known as "Yoon Seok-yeol's kids," are highly likely to be relegated to less influential positions in the personnel changes expected next week.

On the 8th, during the previous high-level personnel reshuffle, Deputy Chief Shin Bong-su and Head Kim Tae-eun saw their overall commander, Park Chan-ho, Head of the Public Investigation Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, leave. The investigation led by Song Kyung-ho and Ko Hyung-gon was overseen by Han Dong-hoon, Head of the Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, who also stepped down. The demotion of Park Chan-ho and Han Dong-hoon immediately raised concerns that the related investigations might face setbacks. However, the subsequent actions of the investigation teams seem to point in the opposite direction. In legal circles, there are remarks that "this appears to reflect Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's strong will to protect the investigations."

Immediately after the high-level personnel reshuffle on the 10th, the Public Investigation 2 Division of the Central District Prosecutors' Office attempted to conduct a search and seizure at the Blue House. They summoned and investigated Song Byung-gi, Deputy Mayor of Ulsan City for Economic Affairs, following Park Hyung-cheol, former Anti-Corruption Secretary at the Presidential Office, and on the 16th, they conducted a search and seizure at the National Police Agency headquarters. Through the search and seizure at the National Police Agency, the prosecution extracted and seized emails and internal messenger transmission records of police officers related to the transfer of intelligence concerning former Ulsan Mayor Kim Gi-hyeon. The intelligence was received by the Blue House Civil Affairs Secretary's Office in October 2017, passed through the Anti-Corruption Secretary's Office and the National Police Agency's Special Investigation Division, and was received by the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency in December of the same year.

Additionally, the Public Investigation 2 Division requested the appearance of Hwang Un-ha, former Chief of the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency, who was investigated for allegations of corruption involving close associates of the Ulsan mayor. Former Chief Hwang is currently under accusation for violations including the Public Official Election Act. The prosecution demanded that former Chief Hwang appear by early next week at the latest, but it is reported that scheduling difficulties are being encountered. Former Chief Hwang stated on his Facebook, "I am coordinating the appearance schedule with the prosecution."

The Anti-Corruption Investigation 2 Division has nearly completed the investigation into allegations of corruption involving former Minister Cho's family. Most suspects, including former Minister Cho and his wife, Professor Jung Kyung-shim of Dongyang University, have been indicted. Currently, the focus is on concluding the investigation and maintaining the prosecution. On the 15th, they submitted an opposition opinion to bail to the trial court handling Professor Jung's case, arguing that a detention trial is necessary due to concerns over evidence destruction. On the same day, the prosecution also submitted a request to the trial court handling former Minister Cho's case to consolidate it with Professor Jung's case. It is reported that the prosecution's position is that the two cases should be consolidated because they overlap significantly in the area of admission fraud.

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