Release, Dismissal, Delayed Response, Loss... Growing Controversy Over Prosecutors' 'Inadequate Investigations'

Is It Due to Lack of Investigative Ability or Another Reason... The Aftermath of 'Keyman' Nam Wook's Release

[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] The prosecution's investigation into the Daejang-dong case is faltering. From the early stages of the investigation into preferential treatment and corruption allegations in the Daejang-dong development, the prosecution has struggled to secure evidence and conduct initial raids, facing difficulties not only in detaining key figures but also in confirming charges. The prosecution has yet to surpass the so-called 'Daejang-dong Four,' leading to criticism that there may be a lack of will to investigate Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate.

According to the legal community on the 20th, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's dedicated investigation team released lawyer Nam Wook, who was arrested on-site at the airport on the 18th, at around 12:20 a.m. that day. Although a detention warrant for Nam was initially expected, the team gave up on requesting the warrant as they failed to identify clear criminal charges before the detention period expired.

Lawyer Nam is accused of conspiring with Kim Man-bae, the major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu, to promise a bribe of 70 billion KRW to former Seongnam Urban Development Corporation Planning Director Yoo Dong-gyu, receiving preferential treatment and causing losses amounting to several trillion KRW to Seongnam City and others. He is considered a key 'keyman' in the Daejang-dong scandal and is also accused of colluding with project participants in the Wirye New Town development to deliver 300 million KRW to former Director Yoo.

The investigation team stated, "Further investigation of the suspect is necessary, and fact-checking related to the claims is required." After two days of questioning yielded little progress, it is interpreted that they judged the likelihood of a warrant being rejected to be high even if requested. However, many view it as unusual to release a key figure in a high-profile case without requesting a detention warrant after an on-site arrest.

Efforts to detain Kim Man-bae, another key figure and major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu, also failed. The investigation team regarded Kim as the pinnacle of lobbying involving political and administrative circles in the Daejang-dong development, but the court dismissed the detention warrant for Kim, disrupting the investigation plan. During this process, it was revealed that the investigation team suddenly revised the criminal facts during Kim's pre-arrest interrogation, raising questions about their investigative capabilities. Initially, based on the recorded statements of accountant Jung Young-hak, owner of Cheonhwa-dongin No. 5, they believed Kim delivered a 400 million KRW check and 100 million KRW in cash to former Director Yoo, but during the warrant hearing, this was changed to 500 million KRW in cash.

In the early stages of the case, the investigation team lost the most critical evidence, former Director Yoo's mobile phone, during a raid on his residence. Although the team claimed that Yoo did not throw the phone out the window, the police analyzed CCTV footage, captured the phone falling, and recovered it within a day.

Some speculate that the investigation will conclude at the level of the 'Daejang-dong Four'?former Director Yoo, Kim, lawyer Nam, and accountant Jung?to protect candidate Lee. Despite Lee being the final approver as the then mayor of Seongnam City, the belated and inadequate raids on Seongnam City Hall support this view.

The investigation team only conducted a raid on Seongnam City Hall on the 15th. This was a response to criticism from opposition lawmakers during a National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee audit, who condemned the delayed raid on Seongnam City Hall, a core location in the Daejang-dong development allegations. Three days later, a second raid was conducted on Seongnam City Hall. However, amid ongoing criticism of the 'belated investigation,' the third raid on the 19th excluded the mayor's office from the target, drawing accusations of inadequate and biased investigation.

However, the investigation team is expected to indict former Director Yoo as early as today. Yoo's side filed a detention review petition with the court on the 18th, arguing insufficient evidence and no risk of evidence destruction or flight, but the court rejected the petition.

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