Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye: "We are investigating the connection between Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant and the whistleblower scandal"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Park Beom-gye, Minister of Justice, stated that he is "investigating" the connection between the 'Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Economic Feasibility Evaluation Manipulation' case and the 'Allegation of Soliciting Prosecution.'

Minister Park made this remark on the morning of the 13th as he arrived at his office in the Government Complex Gwacheon. He added, "The opposition party's complaint mentioned the real names of the staff involved, so how was that possible? I am taking that very seriously."

Earlier, on the 5th, during the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee’s audit, Minister Park was questioned about the connection between the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant case and the allegation of soliciting prosecution. Kim Yong-min, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, raised doubts about the process in which the People Power Party filed a complaint against former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Baek Woon-gyu and others on October 22 of last year. He pointed out that the complaint was filed just two days after the Board of Audit and Inspection’s announcement of its audit results, suggesting that the prosecution might have solicited the complaint.

In response, Minister Park said, "I have very serious doubts about the timing of the Board of Audit and Inspection’s announcement and the opposition party’s complaint," expressing his intention to investigate.

Meanwhile, regarding the allegation of soliciting prosecution, Son Jun-sung, the Human Rights Protection Officer at Daegu High Prosecutors’ Office, who has been identified as the person who wrote or delivered the complaint and is currently under investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), Minister Park said about his job status, "Since the CIO has not yet summoned him, I will wait to see the summons and the specifics, and take necessary measures if needed."

Regarding the instruction from President Moon Jae-in the previous day to "thoroughly investigate through cooperation between the prosecution and the police" concerning the Daejang-dong development preferential treatment and lobbying allegations, Minister Park emphasized, "The essence of the President’s remarks can be summarized as a swift and thorough fact-finding. The prosecution and police leadership are already cooperating organically, and since their relationship is one of equal cooperation rather than a supervisory one as in the past, there is little need to worry about the fairness of the investigation."

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