Park Beom-gye "Evaluation of Daejang-dong Investigation Is Premature... Special Prosecutor Decision Should Be Made in the National Assembly"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Park Beom-gye, Minister of Justice, said regarding the prosecution's investigation into the preferential treatment and lobbying allegations in the Daejang-dong development project, "It is still too early to evaluate."

On the 25th, as he arrived at his office in the Government Complex Gwacheon, Minister Park responded to reporters' questions about the evaluation of the prosecution's investigation.

Minister Park emphasized, "The investigation is not yet complete," and said, "As the minister, I can only trust and wait for the investigation team," adding, "The preferential treatment part of the investigation has progressed to some extent, but it is not finished. The next part is the lobbying aspect, so it is too early to evaluate."

The dedicated investigation team at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, which is investigating the allegations, recently indicted key figures. Kim Man-bae, the major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu, lawyer Nam Wook, owner of Cheonhwa-dongin No. 4, and accountant Jeong Young-hak, owner of Cheonhwa-dongin No. 5, were all indicted on the 22nd.

The investigation team also summoned Im Seung-min, former secretary to the mayor of Seongnam, as a witness for questioning the day before. In the legal community, there is speculation that the investigation into higher-ups has begun in earnest. Im, who closely assisted Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, for nearly two years starting from July 2014 when Lee was mayor of Seongnam, is considered a person well acquainted with the overall Daejang-dong development project. Although he was not the final approver of key documents, he signed as a collaborator. The final approval authority rested with Lee.

Regarding the introduction of a special prosecutor for Daejang-dong, Minister Park said, "If you support a special prosecutor, it would negate the results of the investigation led and supervised by the Ministry of Justice," and avoided a direct answer by stating, "It is not something the minister can decide; it is a matter for the National Assembly to decide." When asked if he planned to promote a permanent special prosecutor as Minister of Justice, he replied, "Since the investigation is ongoing, it is premature to say anything."

Regarding the investigation team's "split dinners," which are expected to incur fines from authorities for violating quarantine rules, he said, "Anyway, the chief investigator was dismissed," and added, "I need to receive more reports and then make a judgment."

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