"Investigation Results in Court"... Will the Prosecution's Daejangdong Investigation Team Face a Different Trial?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The Daejang-dong development preferential treatment and lobbying suspicion case is now heading to court.

The dedicated investigation team for Daejang-dong faces the challenge of conducting investigations and trials simultaneously. In particular, the trial is a golden opportunity for the prosecution to shake off the numerous criticisms it has faced for seemingly inadequate investigations so far. In the legal community, trials are called "a stage to confirm the results of investigations." Attention is focused on whether the investigation team can bring out all the hidden cards, punish the key figures at the center of the suspicions, and change the atmosphere.

According to the legal community on the 22nd, the prosecution will send the key figures of the Daejang-dong suspicion case, Kim Man-bae, the major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management, and lawyer Nam Wook, to trial on this day. This is because the detention period for the two expires on this day. On the 24th, the first trial of Yoo Dong-gyu, former head of the Planning Headquarters of Seongnam Urban Development Corporation, will be held. Yoo, one of the key figures in the suspicions, was the first to be indicted in custody. He faces charges including bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes and breach of trust under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes.

The prosecution plans to reinforce personnel if necessary for the investigation team, which must handle both investigation and prosecution. Neither the trial nor the investigation can be taken lightly. If problems arise in the investigation following the indictment, the trial will also be affected. They could face counterattacks from those involved in the suspicions. Conversely, if cornered in the trial, the momentum of the investigation could be lost.

In the trial, the prosecution must present important evidence and carefully select witnesses to elicit crucial testimony in court. However, many in the legal community predict this will be difficult, as the investigations so far have shown many flaws.

There have been cases where the atmosphere was changed in trials, overcoming concerns about poor investigations. A representative example is the special prosecutor team led by Heo Ik-beom, which investigated the 'Democratic Party member's comment manipulation case.' The Heo Ik-beom special prosecutor team was launched on June 8, 2018, and for three years uncovered the illegal online comment manipulation by 'Druking' Kim Dong-won and others, members of the Democratic Party, sending Kim Kyung-soo, governor of Gyeongnam Province, to trial in custody. When Kim's two-year prison sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court last July, the special prosecutor team was recognized for its achievements.

The special prosecutor team initially faced concerns and pressure that investigations into pro-government figures would not be properly conducted. Repeated rejections of arrest warrants led to controversies over poor investigations. In July last year, when the late Roh Hoe-chan, floor leader of the Justice Party, who was under investigation for receiving illegal political funds from Druking's group, died by suicide, the team was further cornered.

However, the special prosecutor team turned the tide by presenting detailed summaries of messages exchanged via Telegram between Kim and others as key evidence in court, leading to guilty verdicts. Heo Ik-beom was recognized for his abilities, retiring with applause on July 21, and on the 16th received the 13th Cheongo Rule of Law Award from the Cheongo Rule of Law Cultural Foundation.

Special Prosecutor Heo Ik-beom, who has been investigating the Druking comment manipulation case, is leaving the briefing room after announcing the investigation results on the 27th at the Special Prosecutor's Office in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The special prosecution team completed the 60-day investigation period on the 25th without requesting an extension from President Moon Jae-in, and referred a total of 12 people, including Gyeongnam Governor Kim Kyung-soo and Druking's Kim Dong-won, to trial. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Daejang-dong investigation team should take this as an example. However, even at the final stage before indictment, the investigation team appears to be wavering, which is problematic. Following a 'split dining' that violated quarantine rules, COVID-19 infections occurred one after another, dealing a significant blow to the investigation. Holding them accountable, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office dismissed Chief Prosecutor Yoo Kyung-pil on the 19th and urgently appointed Chief Prosecutor Jeong Yong-hwan. Questions remain about some omitted investigation details. Summons and searches continue to be problematic. The prosecution focused solely on the recordings of accountant Jeong Young-hak, summoning and investigating mainly those mentioned in the recordings, while omitting investigations into Seongnam city officials directly involved in the Daejang-dong development project at the time of the incident. Only Seongnam City Hall, where related materials seem to have been organized, was searched, while Gyeonggi Provincial Office, where Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate suspected as the top decision-maker, worked until recently, was not examined.

A legal community insider predicted, "If the prosecution cannot present any additional evidence beyond what has currently been revealed in the trial, criticism of poor investigations will grow, and calls for a special prosecutor will naturally increase."

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