Yoon Seok-yeol's Side: "Replace Daejang-dong Chief Prosecutor? Special Prosecutor Must Start Before Evidence Disappears"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] The campaign team of Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, claimed that the replacement of the chief prosecutor of the prosecution's 'Daejang-dong Development Special Favoritism Allegation' investigation team makes "normal investigation progress impossible" and insisted that "a special prosecutor should be appointed before more evidence disappears."

Kim Byung-min, spokesperson for the People Power Party's election campaign committee, said in a statement on the 21st, "In a situation where there have been successive inadequate investigations such as the failure to secure Yoo Dong-gyu's mobile phone, giving up on clarifying the circumstances of calls with Jeong Jin-sang, and applying breach of trust charges as a scapegoat, even the chief prosecutor of the investigation team has been replaced."

Earlier, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's dedicated investigation team (led by Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Tae-hoon) reportedly held a dinner gathering at a restaurant in Seocho-dong on the 4th, after which four prosecutors and three investigators tested positive for COVID-19. The prosecution excluded Yoo Kyung-pil, chief prosecutor of the Economic Crime Division who tested positive, from the investigation team and brought in Deputy Chief Prosecutor Jeong Yong-hwan of the Anti-Corruption and Strong Investigation Division 1.

Spokesperson Kim criticized, "Team leader Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Tae-hoon not only failed to prevent the dinner gathering that violated quarantine rules but rather encouraged it, and then shifted responsibility solely onto the chief prosecutor team member." He added, "Was he left because he is a 'pro-government prosecutor' from a student activist background, or is it due to unlimited trust in the Daejang-dong investigation team’s practice of scapegoating?"

Regarding the newly appointed Deputy Chief Prosecutor Jeong, he pointed out, "He is a figure who was criticized for excessive investigations, such as having a large number of search warrants dismissed during the Kobana Contents investigation last November," and "a prosecutor who has faithfully led the 'regime-directed investigation' using the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division, which was started as retaliation for the Cho Kuk investigation." He further noted, "There is not even a shred of hope that the Daejang-dong gate will be investigated without sanctuary."

Spokesperson Kim emphasized, "It has already become impossible to produce investigation results that resolve the public’s suspicions. It has become even clearer that the only answer for truth verification is the prompt introduction of a special prosecutor."

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