Prosecutors Conduct Search and Seizure at Ministry of National Defense and Army Headquarters over 'Choo Son Allegations'... Obtain Complaint Recording File

Search and Seizure Operation Ends After 8 PM

Prosecutors investigating the 'military leave suspicion' involving Choo Mi-ae, Minister of Justice's son, are heading to the annex of the Ministry of National Defense building after completing a search and seizure at the Ministry of National Defense's Comprehensive Civil Service Office in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the 15th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] On the 15th, the prosecution investigating allegations of "special leave" during the military service of Choo Mi-ae, Minister of Justice's son Seo Mo (27), conducted a search and seizure of the Ministry of National Defense and the direct units of the Army Headquarters.

According to the prosecution, the Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office sent investigators to the Ministry of National Defense's Audit Office, Civil Complaints Office, and Defense Computer Information Center in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, to secure electronic data related to the allegations involving Minister Choo's son. The search and seizure, which began in the morning, ended after 8 p.m. The purpose of this search was reportedly to obtain a recorded file of a complaint call requesting an extension of Seo's leave, which remained on the military central server.

Seo served as a KATUSA (Korean Augmentation To the United States Army) in the US 8th Army Korea Support Group, 2nd Infantry Division Area Detachment, in 2017, during which he took a total of 23 days of first and second sick leave and personal leave. During this period, allegations arose that Minister Choo and her husband, as well as a former aide from when she was a member of the National Assembly, made multiple inquiry calls to military officials regarding Seo's leave extension.

The record of Seo's second sick leave interview on June 15, 2017, states, "It was confirmed that the parents filed a complaint after consulting with them." Initially, it was believed that the recording file of the complaint call was deleted from the Ministry of National Defense call center's storage system because the retention period was three years. However, it was revealed that the file remained on the main server. Additionally, call records including phone numbers that called the Ministry of National Defense Civil Complaints Office were also reportedly stored.

The prosecution plans to identify the person who made the call to the Ministry of National Defense at that time and determine whether it was a simple complaint call through the seized recording file.

On the same day, the prosecution also searched the Information System Management Unit, a direct unit of the Army Headquarters located in Gyeryongdae, Chungnam Province. It is reported that the prosecution secured records related to Seo's leave in the administrative records of the Korea Support Group, including the integrated regiment administrative work system. Furthermore, the prosecution intends to verify allegations that Seo's leave order was omitted by cross-checking and analyzing the complaint call data obtained that day with the interview records stored in the integrated regiment administrative work system.

Meanwhile, the prosecution is also considering the necessity of additional summons of Seo and related persons regarding allegations that Minister Choo made a request related to her son's selection as an interpreter soldier.

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