Political Sphere Expands Prosecution's 'Wolseong Investigation'... Comprehensive Pressure on Ministry of Industry, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, and Korea Gas Corporation

Opposition Accusation... Prosecution Speeds Up Investigation of Deleted Data
Ruling Party Criticizes "Prosecution's Direct Challenge to Moon Administration's National Tasks"
Focus on Investigation of Deleted Data in Ministry of Industry

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] "Abuse of prosecutorial power," "Prosecutorial interference in state affairs," "A direct challenge to the spirit of the Constitution." As the prosecution conducted a search and seizure related to allegations of manipulation in the economic feasibility evaluation of Wolseong Unit 1 nuclear power plant, the ruling party has intensified its criticism. They claim it is "an act of the prosecution challenging the Moon Jae-in administration's national agenda."

According to the legal community on the 7th, the Criminal Division 5 of the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office is currently sorting through computer hard disks and document materials obtained on the 5th from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy located in the Government Sejong Complex and the headquarters of Korea Gas Corporation in Daegu. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) also executed search warrants over two days on the 5th and 6th. It is reported that they searched the offices and mobile phones of former Minister of Industry and Energy Baek Woon-gyu, KHNP President Jung Jae-hoon, and Korea Gas Corporation President Chae Hee-bong (who was Presidential Secretary for Industrial Policy at the time of Wolseong Unit 1’s early shutdown) and secured related materials.

Earlier, on the 20th of last month, the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) released the results of an audit regarding the decision process for the early shutdown of Wolseong Unit 1 in June 2018, stating that "some Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy employees secretly entered the office late at night before the audit and deleted 444 documents related to Wolseong Unit 1." It is known that evidence, which the BAI pointed out as a "serious obstruction of the audit," was handed over to the prosecution following the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office investigation. The BAI reportedly sent the prosecution a 200-page report titled "Review of the Validity of the Early Shutdown Decision of Wolseong Unit 1" along with "investigative reference materials" containing evidence and legal reviews that are difficult to compare with the report.

As the People Power Party had announced during the national audit, they have filed complaints with the prosecution against related individuals on charges including abuse of authority and obstruction of business, raising the possibility of multiple summonses. The People Power Party included 12 people on the complaint list, including former Minister Baek, President Chae, President Jung, and former Commissioner of the Korean Intellectual Property Office Park Won-joo (who was Director of the Energy Resources Office at the time of Wolseong Unit 1’s early shutdown). Under criminal law, the punishment for abuse of authority can be imprisonment of up to five years, disqualification for up to ten years, or a fine of up to 10 million won.

The prosecution emphasized that this is an "investigation based on complaints." However, it is true that both the prosecution and the BAI are addressing the "unauthorized deletion of Wolseong Unit 1-related materials." On the 20th of last month, the BAI released the audit results on the early shutdown of Wolseong Unit 1 and requested disciplinary action against the Director General and subordinate employees of the Ministry’s Nuclear Industry Policy Division under Article 82 of the State Public Officials Act.

In response, the ruling party is raising issues such as ▲ reports that the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office seized entry logs of Ministry employees that could serve as evidence of the deletion of Wolseong Unit 1-related materials, and ▲ the fact that Lee Doo-bong, head of the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office, and Lee Sang-hyun, head of Criminal Division 5?both considered close to Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol?are handling this case.

Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized at the party’s Supreme Council meeting, saying, "The BAI did not even request an investigation, yet the prosecution has responded massively to a politically motivated case filed by the opposition party," calling it "a political investigation and abuse of prosecutorial power." He added, "(This search and seizure) reminds one of last year when, during the National Assembly confirmation hearings for Minister Cho Kuk, a large-scale search and seizure was conducted on the minister’s family."

Kim Tae-nyeon, floor leader of the Democratic Party, said, "If the prosecution colluded with a specific political party to investigate in order to attack government policies, this is a clear political intervention that undermines prosecutorial neutrality and independence and challenges democracy."

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