The Corruption Investigation Office may indict the 'Sponsor Prosecutor' as early as today... A decisive move with the first indictment

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (HCIA) is set to indict former Chief Prosecutor Kim Hyung-jun (52, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 25), known as the so-called 'sponsor prosecutor,' on bribery charges as early as the 3rd. This is the first case that the HCIA will directly prosecute since its launch in January last year.

According to legal circles, the HCIA is completing internal procedures for the indictment of Chief Prosecutor Kim. Earlier, on the 1st, the HCIA's Prosecution Deliberation Committee passed a resolution to indict Kim on bribery charges.

Kim was investigated by the HCIA on suspicion of receiving approximately 40 million won in money and entertainment in exchange for facilitating investigations in a criminal case involving his former prosecutor colleague, lawyer Park, while working at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office in 2015. Although he was also investigated by the prosecution in October 2016 for these charges, he was cleared due to lack of circumstantial evidence. At that time, the prosecution separately indicted Kim on charges of receiving money and entertainment from a 'sponsor' named Kim. The HCIA holds both investigative and prosecutorial authority only over judges, prosecutors, and police officers of superintendent rank or higher. Accordingly, while the HCIA only investigated Superintendent Cho in August last year and referred the prosecution decision to the prosecution, it can directly indict Chief Prosecutor Kim.

The indictment of former Chief Prosecutor Kim is interpreted as a de facto 'gamble' by the HCIA to prove its raison d'?tre. A legal insider said, "Supporters of the HCIA argue that despite various issues, the agency has somewhat demonstrated its function to check the prosecution," adding, "The HCIA may have seen the indictment of Chief Prosecutor Kim as a good opportunity to publicly showcase this." The HCIA has handed over most politically sensitive cases to the prosecution and police, while continuing investigations into cases involving prosecutors, such as the 'accusation manipulation suspicion' and the 'leak of the indictment by Prosecutor General Lee Sung-yoon."

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