PCC Requests Written Statement from Candidate Yoon Seok-yeol Regarding Allegations of Obstruction in Han Myeong-sook Perjury Coaching Investigation

Yoon Retains Lawyers Lee Wankyu and Son Kyung-sik to Prepare Statement

Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, is attending a press conference hosted by the Seoul Foreign Correspondents Club (SFCC) at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 12th, responding to questions from reporters. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Division (Gongsoocheo), which is investigating various allegations related to Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, reportedly requested a written statement of opinion from candidate Yoon on the 15th. This is related to allegations of obstructing the investigation into the perjury coaching case involving former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook.

According to the legal community on the day, Gongsoocheo's Investigation Division 3 (Chief Prosecutor Choi Seok-gyu) requested a written statement from candidate Yoon's side on the 11th, saying "We would like to hear candidate Yoon's opinion" regarding the charge of obstructing the investigation into the Han Myeong-sook perjury coaching case.

Earlier, Gongsoocheo had booked him in June on charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of rights, alleging that candidate Yoon obstructed the investigation by reassigning the Han former prime minister case to the Human Rights Department instead of the Inspection Department of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and replacing Lim Eun-jung, the Ministry of Justice's inspection officer in charge of the investigation.

Subsequently, Gongsoocheo conducted raids on the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the Ministry of Justice in July to secure related materials, and in September, investigated Lim Eun-jung and Han Dong-soo, head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Department, as witnesses. Also, on the 9th of last month, they investigated Cho Nam-gwan, director of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, who was the deputy chief prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office during candidate Yoon's tenure as chief prosecutor.

Candidate Yoon's side reportedly submitted a power of attorney appointing lawyers Lee Wan-gyu and Son Kyung-sik, who represented him in the disciplinary cancellation lawsuit during his tenure as chief prosecutor, and is preparing to submit a written opinion.

Candidate Yoon's side maintains that assigning the case to the Human Rights Department at that time was a lawful procedure. Last year, then Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae filed disciplinary charges against candidate Yoon, citing six reasons including "obstruction of inspection related to the Han Myeong-sook former prime minister case."

However, the Ministry of Justice's Prosecutor Disciplinary Committee had previously decided to dismiss the charges due to "lack of evidence" regarding this reason along with the charge of "leakage of information related to the Channel A case inspection."

Gongsoocheo is expected to decide whether to summon candidate Yoon for investigation after reviewing the written opinion submitted by his side.

In addition to the suspicion of obstructing the investigation into former Prime Minister Han's perjury coaching case, Gongsoocheo is investigating candidate Yoon on charges related to ▲ allegations of instigating complaints ▲ allegations of inadequate investigation into the Optimus fund fraud ▲ allegations concerning documents analyzing major trial panels.

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