COVID-19 Impact... Baek Woon-gyu's 'Breach of Trust Inducement' Prosecution Review Committee Also Delayed?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] As the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) continues to record in the thousands daily, the government has raised social distancing to Level 4 starting from the 12th.

The prosecution is also unlikely to avoid the repercussions. An internal policy has been set to refrain from raids and summons investigations, making it difficult for forced investigations into presidential candidates to be carried out in earnest. Meanwhile, the prosecution's investigation review committee for former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Baek Woon-gyu, who is at risk of additional indictment on charges of 'breach of trust instruction,' is also expected to be held much later than anticipated.

According to the prosecution on the 11th, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office is taking steps to convene the prosecution investigation review committee for former Minister Baek, which was requested ex officio by Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office must randomly select 15 current affairs committee members, coordinate a schedule for all to meet for deliberation, and set the date for the meeting.

Typically, the investigation review committee is held about two weeks after the request, but this time it may be delayed further. The spread of COVID-19 is severe, making it burdensome to hold a review committee that requires a considerable number of people to gather. Additionally, among the 15 current affairs committee members randomly selected from various fields such as the legal and academic sectors, some may express their intention to abstain from participation due to the spread of COVID-19. In that case, the selection of committee members must be redone.

Recently, this investigation review committee has attracted more attention. Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl revealed that the biggest reason for his resignation and entry into politics was the investigation into the 'Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant economic feasibility manipulation' allegations.

Former Prosecutor General Yoon explained, "I saw the complete removal of the prosecution's investigative authority, known as 'Kumsu Wanbak,' as having been triggered by the request for an arrest warrant against Minister Baek Woon-gyu, and that is how I felt."

Former Minister Baek is accused of instructing Jeong Jae-hoon, President of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), to manipulate the economic feasibility evaluation results of Wolseong Unit 1 and submit the manipulated results to the KHNP board in June 2018 to obtain approval for its closure.

Subsequently, Wolseong Unit 1 was closed early, causing KHNP to suffer a loss of approximately 148.1 billion won. Private shareholders holding about 40% of the shares of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), KHNP's parent company, also suffered significant losses. The Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office investigation team judged this as a charge of 'breach of trust instruction.' The government, which did not compensate for KHNP's losses, was seen as the main beneficiary in the breach of trust composition.

Prosecutor General Kim requested the convening of the investigation review committee due to differences in opinion with the investigation team and ambiguous aspects of the case. If the review committee agrees with the indictment, the government will find it difficult to avoid responsibility. In the legal community, it is generally agreed that breach of trust holds the highest decision-maker accountable. Baek's breach of trust implies that the Blue House is also responsible. This also means that shareholders could potentially file civil lawsuits against President Moon Jae-in and others.

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