Lip Movement Kim Woong... Will the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Launch a 'Forced Investigation' into the Alleged Report Solicitation?

Kim Woong "May Have Given Data from Prosecutor Son to the Party"... Supreme Prosecutors' Office Accelerates Investigation into Whistleblower and Prosecutor Son

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The investigation speed of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office has accelerated regarding the 'report solicitation' allegations involving former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol. This is because Kim Woong, a member of the People Power Party at the center of the controversy, mentioned that "circumstantially, it could have been that he received materials from Prosecutor Son and delivered them to the party," clarifying the involvement of former Deputy Director of Investigation and Information Policy at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Son Joon-sung. Prosecutor Son is now highly likely to have played a key role in this case, whether through legal advice or document delivery.

According to the legal community on the 8th, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office received a mobile phone containing messages exchanged between whistleblower A and Representative Kim and has begun a full-scale investigation. It is known that A's phone stored photos of the complaint and rulings with real names. Although the Supreme Prosecutors' Office stated, "We cannot disclose detailed facts," it was confirmed that A mentioned the circumstances under which he obtained the materials and his relationship with the parties involved in the allegations.

There is also interest in why A submitted the report to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office instead of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission or the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials. According to the Public Interest Whistleblower Protection Act, public interest reports can be processed not only through the Anti-Corruption Commission but also through investigative agencies. However, since the Supreme Prosecutors' Office had already initiated a fact-finding investigation into this case, A may have judged that the investigation speed of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office would be faster than that of the Anti-Corruption Commission or other investigative agencies.

It also appears that A expected the role of Han Dong-soo, head of the Inspection Department overseeing the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's fact-finding investigation. On the 2nd, Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo ordered the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Department to conduct the fact-finding investigation, and Han assigned the case to Inspection Division 3 under the Inspection Department. Han is known as a pro-government figure within the prosecution and has clashed with former Prosecutor General Yoon in cases such as the 'media-prosecution collusion' allegations and the 'inspection of former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook's case.'

Although Representative Kim mentioned that he might have received materials from Prosecutor Son on that day, he clearly stated, "I explicitly declare that I did not write the complaint," increasing the likelihood that the prosecution will switch to a compulsory investigation. Representative Kim demanded, "Please thoroughly investigate the truth based on the whistleblower's mobile phone and Prosecutor Son's PC and reveal it as soon as possible," raising the possibility of fabrication and name borrowing.

Above all, it is not easy to prove solely from A's mobile phone that Representative Kim received and delivered the complaint and other documents from Prosecutor Son. Although forensic investigations on Prosecutor Son's PC and others have begun, the fact-finding investigation, which requires some cooperation from the parties involved, has limitations in clarifying additional suspicions. Moreover, Prosecutor Son's PC was already subject to investigation during the November last year inquiry into allegations of judicial surveillance. Considering that no concrete evidence was found to clarify the suspicions at that time, the results this time are not expected to differ significantly.

Although the Supreme Prosecutors' Office has accelerated the investigation, the key issue is which charges to specify. If charges of violating the Public Official Election Act are applied to this case, the prosecution can investigate. However, considering that the ruling document contains personal information, if charges of violating the Personal Information Protection Act are applied, the police will take over the case, and if charges of leaking official secrets are applied, the case will be transferred to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials.

Pressure from Justice Minister Park Beom-gye is expected to intensify further. Minister Park has already accepted the allegations as fact, stating, "It is understood that former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol utilized Prosecutor Son Joon-sung, who is currently under scrutiny, very closely. Beyond that, I believe there was a relationship beyond that between former Prosecutor General Yoon and Prosecutor Son." Minister Park also said, "Since the parties deny the allegations, if the investigation is insufficient, we must consider switching to an investigative system," raising the possibility of compulsory investigation.

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