Park Beom-gye, Exercises Investigation Command Authority in 'Han Myeong-sook Trial Perjury Coaching Case' (Update)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye has exercised his investigative directive authority regarding the allegations of witness tampering against former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook, which the Supreme Prosecutors' Office had decided not to prosecute. By ordering a reinvestigation into a case that the prosecution had already closed, the Ministry of Justice stated that it intends to correct the problematic investigative practices and issues that arose during the case handling process.

On the 17th, Lee Jeong-su, Director of the Prosecutor's Office at the Ministry of Justice, held a briefing at 4 p.m. in the conference room of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office and announced, "The Minister of Justice has instructed the acting Prosecutor General to convene a meeting of all department heads at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to deliberate on the possibility of prosecuting inmate Kim."

Minister Park also ordered that explanations and opinions be heard from the head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Department, the head of Inspection Division 3, and Prosecutor Lim Eun-jeong, and that a thorough discussion process be conducted. The directive included deciding whether to file charges against Kim by the statute of limitations expiration date on the 22nd, based on the results of the meeting's deliberations.

Earlier that morning, as he arrived at the Government Complex Gwacheon, Minister Park told reporters, "I reviewed all the records of the former Prime Minister Han's case yesterday. I examined them carefully and thoughtfully, and I think a decision should be made within today." When asked by reporters if he was leaning toward exercising his investigative directive authority, he nodded. Minister Park had completed reviewing all the inspection records transferred from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office by the previous day.

At the full session of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee the day before, regarding the prosecution's decision to dismiss the case, he said, "I have not received a report that the decision was made with the participation of the head of the Inspection Department or Lim Eun-jeong, the Inspection Policy Research Officer," and added, "It is important to understand what efforts the investigators made and what process was followed."

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