[Comprehensive] "Yoon, Arrogant and Political" "Prosecutorial Coup" Ruling Party Launches Full-Scale Investigation into Wolsong Unit 1

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol is getting into a vehicle after completing the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee's National Inspection of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the 23rd of last month. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy reporters Han Seung-gon and Kang Joo-hee] As the prosecution investigates allegations of the early shutdown of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1, the Democratic Party of Korea has been continuously criticizing, saying, "The politicization of the Prosecutor General has begun."

On the 8th, Heo Young, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, issued a statement saying, "It is an arrogant act to intervene in politics under the pretext of investigation and to exert influence on government policy," and pointed out, "The prosecution's involvement is a clear political investigation and an abuse of prosecutorial power."

He added, "Judging whether to shut down aged nuclear power plants early through safety and economic evaluations is the government's inherent authority. The prosecution should neither intervene nor be allowed to intervene in this area," emphasizing, "The prosecution's investigative authority is not an omnipotent power that can judge the right and wrong of all matters."

He also criticized, "The prosecution conducted a search and seizure just two weeks after the People Power Party filed a complaint, and Lee Doo-bong, head of the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office in charge of the investigation, is a representative member of the 'Yoon Seok-yeol faction.' The opposition party and the prosecution have covered up politics with a fantastic combo play."

Choi In-ho, chief spokesperson, also criticized on the same day on his Facebook, saying, "The current situation suggests that 'politician Yoon Seok-yeol' seems hopeless and will remain only as 'political prosecutor Yoon Seok-yeol.'"

He further lashed out at the People Power Party, saying, "The double standard attitude of the People Power Party, who encouraged politics when the atmosphere was raised but now say not to do politics, is a ploy to benefit the political prosecution."

Park Soo-hyun, head of the Democratic Party's Public Relations and Communication Committee, wrote on Facebook on the 7th, "The prosecution's investigation will inevitably target the Blue House beyond the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy," and claimed, "Mass indictments will be made ahead of the by-elections, and it appears to be Prosecutor General Yoon's strategy to finally seize power by plunging the Democratic Party into the swamp of election defeat."

Kim Nam-guk, a member of the National Assembly, also wrote on Facebook on the same day, "This investigation is a 'prosecutorial coup' that challenges our constitution and democracy, going beyond undermining the political neutrality and independence of the prosecution."

Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is delivering a greeting at the "Democratic Party of Korea Discussion on the Foreign Policy Direction of the Next U.S. Administration and Prospects for the Korean Peninsula Policy" held on the 6th at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, on the 6th, Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the Democratic Party, criticized at the party's Supreme Council meeting in the morning the prosecution's search and seizure of related agencies including the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy regarding allegations of manipulation of the economic evaluation of Wolseong Unit 1, calling it "a political investigation and abuse of prosecutorial power." He pointed out, "The Board of Audit and Inspection did not even request an investigation, but the prosecution responded massively to a politically motivated case filed by the opposition party."

He added, "It reminds me of the time last year when a large-scale search and seizure was conducted on the family of the Minister nominee during the National Assembly confirmation hearings for the Minister of Justice," and pointed out, "The fact that the prosecution launched a sudden investigation just two weeks after the opposition party filed a complaint with the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office and one week after Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol visited the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office raises suspicion."

He continued, "I do not want to believe that the opposition party and some political prosecutors are conspiring to attack the government. However, if such intentions exist, the public will not tolerate it." He urged, "The party will not overlook the behavior of some political prosecutors for the honor of the majority of prosecutors who quietly fulfill their duties," and called on the prosecution to "immediately stop this dangerous and reckless rampage."

Earlier, on the 20th of last month, the Board of Audit and Inspection announced the audit result that the 'economic feasibility' basis for the early shutdown decision of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 was unreasonably undervalued.

In response, the People Power Party filed a complaint with the prosecution against former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Baek Woon-gyu and others on charges including violation of the Public Records Management Act, invalidity of official documents under the Criminal Act, the Board of Audit and Inspection Act, abuse of authority, and obstruction of business.

The Criminal Division 5 (Public Investigation Division, Chief Lee Sang-hyun) of the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office conducted a comprehensive search and seizure on the 5th at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Korea Gas Corporation based on materials received from the Board of Audit and Inspection. The investigation included the homes and offices of former Minister Baek, former Blue House Industrial Policy Secretary Chae Hee-bong (current president of Korea Gas Corporation), and former Director-General of Energy Resources at the Ministry of Industry Park Won-joo (former Commissioner of the Korean Intellectual Property Office).

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