'Controversy Over Manipulation of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Economic Feasibility Evaluation'... Prosecution Conducts Second Day of Search at KHNP Headquarters

On the morning of the 6th, prosecution officials entered the headquarters of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power in Yangbuk-myeon, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongbuk Province to conduct a seizure and search. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] The prosecution investigating the allegations of manipulation in the economic feasibility evaluation of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 (Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant) is conducting a second day of a search and seizure at the headquarters of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP).

The Criminal Division 5 of Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Lee Sang-hyun) sent about 10 prosecutors and investigators to the headquarters around 9 a.m. on the 6th to carry out an additional search and seizure following the previous day. The search and seizure conducted until 10 p.m. the previous night involved about 30 people, including prosecutors, targeting the Planning Department, but only about 10 people were involved in the search and seizure on this day.

The warrant for this search and seizure was executed to investigate the case in which the People Power Party filed a complaint against former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Baek Woon-gyu and others regarding suspicions surrounding the economic feasibility evaluation by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KHNP at the time of the early shutdown of Wolseong Unit 1 in 2018.

A KHNP official stated, "We understand that materials on employees' personal computers were secured during the search and seizure the previous day," adding, "We do not know what specific materials the prosecution has secured."

Meanwhile, the prosecution also conducted surprise search and seizures at Korea Gas Corporation and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy the previous day. In the case of Korea Gas Corporation, the current President Chae Hee-bong was serving as the Blue House Industrial Policy Officer when discussions about the shutdown of Wolseong Unit 1 were underway.

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