The Corruption Investigation Office Concludes Prosecutors' Meeting... Kim Jin-wook Urges 'Reflective Exercise of Authority and Investigation Considering Appropriateness'

No Apology or Reflection Statement Issued, Controversy Likely to Continue

On the afternoon of the 11th, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials at the Government Complex Gwacheon held a prosecutor meeting.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] Kim Jin-wook, Chief of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (HCIO), urged at the prosecutors' meeting held on the 11th for "reflective exercise of authority" and "investigations considering appropriateness beyond legality."

The HCIO held a prosecutors' meeting from 2 p.m. that day, attended by Chief Kim, Deputy Director Yeo Woon-guk, and 20 out of 23 prosecutors, to discuss major current issues.

At the meeting, prosecutors freely exchanged opinions on various topics including ▲organizational and structural reforms and operations for efficient investigations ▲investigation methods to minimize human rights violations ▲controversies and improvements regarding communication data inquiries and searches ▲appropriate control over customary investigative procedures ▲directions for revising case handling regulations, the HCIO stated.

Before the meeting began, Chief Kim explained the background and responsibilities of the HCIO's establishment and emphasized investigations aligned with public expectations, considering appropriateness in relation to the recent surveillance controversy.

He said, "HCIO prosecutors must do their best for 'reflective exercise of authority' during investigations based on the constitutional spirit that all power comes from the people," adding, "Although this is a difficult time due to various recent controversies, I ask all prosecutors to pool their wisdom to conduct investigations that consider not only legality but also appropriateness, meeting the people's expectations."

Deputy Director Yeo, who is the lead prosecutor on the 'report solicitation' case, remained present throughout the meeting but reportedly did not make any remarks and listened to the prosecutors' opinions. The meeting concluded around 5:40 p.m.

The HCIO stated, "We will collect the various opinions raised at today's prosecutors' meeting and reflect them in HCIO operations after in-depth discussions and reviews."

Additionally, the HCIO added, "We plan to hold prosecutors' meetings regularly once a month to gather opinions on current issues or listen to suggestions, using these opportunities to reflect them in organizational operations and system improvements."

Since TV Chosun reported on the 8th of last month that the HCIO had accessed communication data of reporters who covered the 'Lee Seong-yoon Emperor Escort' allegations, additional cases of indiscriminate communication data or call record inquiries by the HCIO have continued to surface.

It was confirmed that the HCIO accessed communication data not only of about 160 journalists from dozens of media outlets' legal or political teams and four foreign correspondents but also family members of some reporters last year.

Moreover, communication data inquiries were revealed involving opposition politicians such as Yoon Seok-youl, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, his wife Kim Geon-hee, Kim Ki-hyun, the party's floor leader, Kim Do-eup, the policy committee chairman, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, as well as civic group leaders critical of the HCIO, underage children of Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon, and fan club members, sparking a 'surveillance' controversy.

On the same day, JoongAng Ilbo reported that the HCIO also accessed communication data of Lee Chang-hyun, a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Law School and a member of the HCIO's Investigation Deliberation Committee, Kim Young-jong, a former head of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office Anyang Branch recommended by the opposition party and a member of the HCIO Personnel Committee, and an advisory committee member identified as A.

Regarding the 'Lee Seong-yoon High Prosecutor's Office Indictment Leak' case, the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office investigation team, which was subjected to two HCIO searches on November 26 and 29 last year, filed a quasi-appeal with the Seoul Central District Court on the 5th, claiming the searches were illegal.

The Suwon investigation team alleges that the HCIO requested warrants on charges clearly not constituting official secret leakage, and that prosecutors not belonging to the investigation team falsely prepared warrant requests and investigation records to mislead the court into issuing the warrants while pretending to be part of the investigation team during the indictment of the high prosecutor.

Although Chief Kim made remarks at the prosecutors' meeting conscious of the 'surveillance' controversy, such as 'reflective exercise of authority' and 'investigations meeting public expectations,' no apology, reflection, or clear explanation has been offered regarding the excessive communication data inquiries revealed so far, so the controversy is unlikely to subside.

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