Choo Mi-ae: "If the special prosecutor covered for SK's Chey Tae-won, would Yoon have been unaware?"

"Attention Needed on SK Family Who Provided Seed Money for Daejang-dong Project"

Chu Mi-ae speaking at the party members' meeting Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] Former Minister of Justice and Democratic Party presidential candidate Chu Mi-ae pointed out regarding the 'Daejang-dong development preferential treatment' allegations, "If the claim that Special Prosecutor Park Young-soo covered up charges related to Chairman Choi Tae-won is true, would former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, who was the head of the investigation team at the time, have been unaware?"

On the 28th, Chu posted on her social media (SNS), "Former Prosecutor General Yoon today (28th) threatened, as if he was unaware, saying 'If I become president, I will arrest the real owner of Hwacheon Daeyu,' but was he really unaware?"

She continued, "It has been revealed that Assemblyman Kwak Sang-do's son received an incomprehensible 5 billion won as severance pay, sparking public outrage," adding, "Special Prosecutor Park's daughter also resigned around the same time after working, and it was confirmed that she purchased an apartment in Daejang-dong owned by Hwacheon Daeyu."

She further stated, "There is growing public suspicion whether the former Blue House Chief of Civil Affairs under the Park Geun-hye administration and Special Prosecutor Park Young-soo, who investigated the Park Geun-hye state corruption scandal, both received unfair benefits from Hwacheon Daeyu, and whether they effectively received bribe-like money under the names of their daughter and son."

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol. / Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group

Former Minister Chu said, "What is noteworthy is the relationship with the SK owner family who provided the seed money for the Daejang-dong development project," adding, "Although it cannot be concluded at this point, it seems no one would understand the large sums of money exchanged simply as a reward for the son working so hard that his health was affected. The apartment sale process to Special Prosecutor Park's daughter also appears suspicious in many respects."

She also said, "Then, the only link that can connect Hwacheon Daeyu, former Assemblyman Kwak, and Special Prosecutor Park is matters related to Chairman Choi's pardon and investigation," stating, "The key figures in the current allegations are narrowed down to Kwak Sang-do, the Blue House Chief of Civil Affairs related to the pardon, and Special Prosecutor Park Young-soo related to the state corruption investigation."

She added, "In a situation where no special academic or regional ties have been found between Special Prosecutor Park and the core members of Hwacheon Daeyu, significant suspicion can be raised about how that relationship began," and said, "One might imagine that the law team leader, a former journalist turned representative, played that role, but the answer is 'I don't know.'"

Meanwhile, investment consulting firm Kin & Partners lent 45.7 billion won with an annual interest rate of 10% as initial project funds to Hwacheon Daeyu, the developer of the Daejang-dong project, from 2015 to 2017. Kin & Partners' investment funds are known to have come from Choi Ki-won, Chairman Choi's younger sister and director of the SK Happiness Foundation.

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