Prosecutors Reassign 'Yoon Woo-jin Sponsor' Complaint Case to Anti-Corruption Division for Expanded Investigation

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The prosecution is expanding its investigation into former Yongsan Tax Office Chief Yoon Woo-jin, who is suspected of covering up a bribery case.

According to the legal community on the 18th, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office recently reassigned the complaint case submitted last year by businessman A regarding former Chief Yoon to the Anti-Corruption and Serious Crime Division 1 (Chief Prosecutor Jung Yong-hwan).

Former Chief Yoon is the older brother of Yoon Dae-jin, Planning Director at the Legal Research and Training Institute, who is known as a close aide to former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol.

Initially, the case was handled by the Criminal Division 13 (Chief Prosecutor Lim Dae-hyuk) of the Central District Prosecutors' Office, which had been investigating the bribery case involving former Chief Yoon, but recently the investigation team was changed to the Anti-Corruption and Serious Crime Division 1. This has led to speculation in the legal community that the anti-corruption division, which has the character of the former special investigation unit, will begin a comprehensive investigation.

Businessman A filed a complaint alleging that former Chief Yoon acted as a 'sponsor' and provided entertainment to prosecutors and other high-ranking public officials, tightening the prosecution's investigation.

In the complaint, A stated that from 2018 to 2019, former Chief Yoon was frequently taken to meetings with current and former prosecutors, senior officials of the National Tax Service, and police, where he paid for meals and golf expenses multiple times. It is also known that A testified that he handed over 430 million won in lobbying funds to former Chief Yoon between 2016 and 2018. A also raised suspicions that former Chief Yoon attempted to bribe him with a check exceeding 100 million won.

Separately, the Criminal Division 13 of the Central District Prosecutors' Office is investigating allegations that former Chief Yoon received bribes such as golf from meat importers around 2013 and that the prosecution covered up the case.

Former Chief Yoon left the country while under police investigation for these charges in 2012 but was arrested overseas and forcibly repatriated. However, in 2015, the prosecution dismissed the charges.

There were also allegations that former Prosecutor General Yoon, who was then head of the Central Investigation Division 1 at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, introduced former Chief Yoon to lawyer Lee Nam-seok, a former member of the Central Investigation Division.

In 2019, when the National Assembly held a confirmation hearing for former Prosecutor General Yoon, then Liberty Korea Party lawmaker Joo Kwang-deok filed a complaint against former Chief Yoon for bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.

In response, then Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae exercised her authority to direct investigations in October last year, excluding former Prosecutor General Yoon from the investigation command line regarding former Chief Yoon's allegations and ordered the investigation team to conduct a swift investigation.

The prosecution has conducted investigations including raids on golf courses suspected to have been visited by former Chief Yoon, the National Tax Service headquarters, the Central Regional National Tax Service, and the Yeongdeungpo Tax Office.

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