Ministry of Justice Accelerates Search for 'Gongsojang Yucheolja' Leak Source... Possibility of Criminal Punishment

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] The Ministry of Justice is accelerating efforts to identify the source of the leak of the edited indictment draft of Lee Seong-yoon, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

According to the legal community on the 21st, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office has narrowed down suspects focusing on those who accessed the investigation decision system where Chief Prosecutor Lee's indictment could be viewed, and has begun checking their computer and mobile phone usage records.

Earlier, on the 14th of this month, Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye instructed Cho Nam-gwan, Acting Prosecutor General (Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office), to conduct a fact-finding investigation into the leak of Chief Prosecutor Lee's indictment.

As the identification work progressed within a week of Minister Park's order, opinions arose that the Supreme Prosecutors' Office might be laying groundwork for Kim Oh-soo, the nominee for Prosecutor General, whose confirmation hearing is scheduled next week. It is analyzed that they intend to resolve the situation before Kim assumes office as the new Prosecutor General.

There is also speculation that this inspection could lead to an investigation beyond internal disciplinary action against the leaker. On the morning of the same day, Minister Park said, "(The indictment leak) has a high possibility of being illegal," adding, "There are penal provisions for leaking or disclosing criminal justice information," implying the possibility of criminal punishment.

According to the "Act on the Promotion of Electronic Criminal Procedure" (Electronic Criminal Procedure Act), persons engaged in criminal justice work shall not disclose, handle without authorization, or provide criminal justice information learned through their duties to others for improper purposes. Violations are punishable by imprisonment of up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million won.

The Ministry of Justice is reportedly reviewing the applicability of other legal provisions as well, including the crime of official secret leakage under the Criminal Act and violations of the Personal Information Protection Act, in addition to the Electronic Criminal Procedure Act.

Within the prosecution, there have been critical voices regarding the Ministry of Justice's inspection of the indictment leak. A senior prosecutor in the Seoul metropolitan area said, "While leaking indictment contents may violate regulations, I question whether it is a matter that warrants such a large-scale inspection and talk of criminal punishment," calling it an "inspection without principles."

Previously, lawyer Kim Jong-min, a former prosecutor, stated on social media on the 18th, "I vividly remember that during the Park Geun-hye administration, when the 'Jung Yoon-hoe document' was widely publicized in the media, all public authority was mobilized to identify the leaker rather than verify the facts of the document." He added, "The overreaction of Park Beom-gye, Choo Mi-ae, and Chung Sye-kyun to the external disclosure of the indictment seems like a reincarnation of Woo Byung-woo, the former Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs."

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