The Corruption Investigation Office conducts a search and seizure at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Department... Regarding the 'Gobal Saju' Allegation

Sohn Joon-sung, Human Rights Officer at Daegu High Prosecutors' Office / Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Division (HOCI), which is investigating the prosecution 'report solicitation' suspicion case involving Yoon Seok-yeol, conducted a search and seizure at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.

According to the legal community on the 5th, the HOCI investigation team executed a search warrant around 10 a.m. at the Inspection Department of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul. It is reported that the purpose was to secure additional physical evidence to identify the author and deliverer of the report.

Earlier, on the morning of the 2nd, HOCI summoned Son Junsung, the Human Rights Protection Officer at Daegu High Prosecutors' Office (then Investigation Information Policy Officer at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and prosecutor), and questioned him until late afternoon about whether he wrote the report and the delivery process. The next day, based on a phone conversation with Jo Seong-eun, the initial whistleblower of the case, they interrogated Kim Woong, a member of the People Power Party. According to the call transcript released by Jo, Representative Kim repeatedly made remarks suggesting that the report was related to the prosecution, such as "We will draft the initial version and send it to you" and "It should be submitted to the Southern District Prosecutors' Office."

HOCI also appears to have questioned Representative Kim Woong about possible collusion with Prosecutor Son or other prosecution officials based on a Telegram messenger message tagged 'Sent by Son Junsung.' Additionally, regarding the part in the transcript where Representative Kim said, "If I go to report, it will come out that 'Yoon Seok-yeol ordered the report,'" it is known that they investigated the connection with former Prosecutor General Yoon.

Representative Kim (then a candidate for the United Future Party in the general election) had conversations with Jo Seong-eun, who sent the report and attached materials via Telegram, and this conversation became known when Jo released the transcript. Representative Kim is suspected of having handed over the report on passport officials received from Prosecutor Son through Telegram exchanges with Jo in April last year.

HOCI suspects two prosecutors belonging to the Investigation Information Office of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, who reviewed the judgment documents attached to the report in April last year, as persons related to the report. On September 28 last year, HOCI conducted a search and seizure of the Investigation Information Office of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and their residences.

Kim Woong, a member of the People Power Party, is answering questions from reporters as he enters the Corruption Investigation Office building for an investigation on the morning of the 3rd. [Image source=Yonhap News]

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