Prosecutors' Office to Summon Son Junsung Next Week... Can They Seize a Turning Point Amid 'Flawed Warrant' Controversy?

Former Deputy Director of the Investigation and Information Policy Office at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Son Jun-sung, is attending the warrant hearing held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 26th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Division (HOCI), which is investigating the allegations of 'prosecution indictment solicitation,' will summon former Deputy Director of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office for Investigation Information Policy, Son Jun-sung, who recently had his arrest warrant dismissed, for questioning next week.

Attention is focused on whether HOCI, which embarrassed itself by requesting an arrest warrant without even once summoning former Deputy Director Son for questioning, will be able to reapply for the arrest warrant after conducting a summons investigation.

According to the legal community on the 29th, HOCI will summon and investigate former Deputy Director Son, who is suspected of abuse of power and obstruction of the exercise of rights, on the 2nd of next month.

Former Deputy Director Son is accused of instructing subordinate prosecutors in April last year to draft complaints accusing figures from the ruling party and delivering these complaints to Kim Woong, a member of the People Power Party and then a candidate for the Future United Party in the general election, thereby soliciting prosecution indictments.

When HOCI faced difficulties coordinating the summons schedule with Prosecutor Son, they requested an arrest warrant on the 20th, but it was dismissed. They then requested an arrest warrant again, but it was also dismissed.

In the legal community, it is acknowledged that former Deputy Director Son delayed the summons schedule citing reasons such as delays in appointing a lawyer, but despite clearly stating his willingness to comply with the summons investigation, HOCI's insistence on requesting an arrest warrant without conducting a summons investigation is widely regarded as excessive.

In particular, controversy arose over the 'deficient warrant' after it was revealed that the arrest warrant application submitted by HOCI to the court did not specify the superior or the complaint drafter who conspired with Prosecutor Son, instead listing them as unknown persons. It is also reported that HOCI failed to name former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, who was initially included in the investigation alongside former Prosecutor Son, as a co-conspirator in the warrant.

On the 26th, Judge Lee Se-chang, head of the arrest warrant division at the Seoul Central District Court, who presided over the warrant hearing for former Deputy Director Son, dismissed the arrest warrant requested by the prosecution, stating, "Considering the circumstances of the suspect's summons and the progress of the investigation, it is difficult to see a risk of evidence destruction or flight beyond the scope of the suspect's legitimate defense rights."

Judge Lee also stated, "Taking into account the suspect's statements during the hearing expressing willingness to sincerely cooperate with future investigations, it is judged that there is a lack of necessity and substantiality for detention at this stage."

Attention is focused on whether HOCI can identify the remaining suspects, who have not yet been specified, through the summons investigation of former Deputy Director Son and clearly clarify the route through which the problematic complaints were drafted and delivered to the opposition party.

Since an arrest warrant has already been dismissed once, it is true that HOCI faces a burden in reapplying for the warrant.

Meanwhile, it is known that HOCI has also completed scheduling a summons with Representative Kim. Given HOCI's earlier declaration to conduct a swift investigation to minimize the impact on the presidential primary and other elections, the summons investigations of former Deputy Director Son and Representative Kim are expected to accelerate the investigation.

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