Kim Jin-wook, Head of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, on Yoon Seok-yeol's 'Investigation for Drafting Judge Surveillance Documents,' a Decision Made After Deep Deliberation

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[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Kim Jin-wook, head of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (Gong-su-cheo), said that the additional indictment of Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, on charges of illegally creating the so-called 'judge surveillance document' was a "decision made after careful consideration."

On the 9th, Kim attended the plenary session of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee and responded this way when Jeon Ju-hye, a People Power Party lawmaker, pointed out that it was inappropriate to additionally indict candidate Yoon during the primary election.

The Gong-su-cheo has been investigating Yoon since the 22nd of last month on charges of creating the judge surveillance document. The case involves allegations that Yoon, while serving as Prosecutor General in February last year, illegally ordered the creation and distribution of a document containing gossip about the judge in charge of the case. Yoon is currently under investigation by the Gong-su-cheo for a total of four cases, including this one.

Kim stated, "I judged that this case requires re-verification of facts through investigation because the facts recognized by the Seoul Administrative Court on the 14th of last month (regarding Yoon's disciplinary action) and those acknowledged in the non-prosecution decision by the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office in February differ."

He added, "The options available were either direct investigation or referral to another investigative agency. Referring a case that the prosecution has decided not to indict is nonsense, so I concluded that direct investigation is appropriate."

Kim also said, "(The Gong-su-cheo) is an institution created to investigate those in power."

When People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Han-hong questioned whether the Gong-su-cheo's seizure of digital forensic data from the public phone of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office spokesperson, which had been seized by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Department in a voluntary submission form, was a coincidence, Kim replied, "I also found out from the newspaper," emphasizing again that there was no prior coordination.

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