[Weekly Review] Prosecution Targets Ministry of Industry's 'Nuclear Phase-Out' Policy... What Is the 'Blacklist Suspicion'?

Prosecutors to Search Ministry of Industry on 25th... Accelerating 'Blacklist' Investigation
Minister and Vice Minister Urged Agency Head to Resign... Issues Raised 3 Years Ago
Possible 'Signal Shot' for Anti-Nuclear Probe... Wolseong Unit 1 Case, etc.

Prosecutors Conduct Search and Seizure at Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy over 'Blacklist Suspicion'
(Sejong=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Juhyung = Prosecutors investigating the so-called 'Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy blacklist suspicion' case conducted a search and seizure at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
On the 25th, officials were busy moving around the nuclear power-related department at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in the Government Sejong Complex. 2022.3.25
kjhpress@yna.co.kr
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＜Copyright(c) Yonhap News Agency, Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited＞

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] As the prosecution has launched a full-scale investigation into the 'Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) blacklist' case, attention is focused on the background of the suspicions that were raised. This is because the prosecution conducted a search and seizure of MOTIE for the first time in 3 years and 2 months after allegations surfaced that the minister and vice minister of MOTIE pressured the presidents of four Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) subsidiaries to resign. There is also analysis that the prosecution is signaling a large-scale investigation into the current government's nuclear phase-out policy, including the manipulation of the economic feasibility evaluation of the Wolseong Unit 1 nuclear reactor.

According to the legal community on the 26th, the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office conducted a search and seizure yesterday at key personnel-related departments such as the MOTIE Operations Support Division and the Innovation Administration Office, located in the Government Sejong Complex, as well as departments related to nuclear power. It is reported that the prosecution secured documents, PCs, and other evidence from the departments targeted in the search and seizure. The prosecution plans to investigate circumstances suggesting that MOTIE illegally pressured some heads of affiliated institutions who did not align with the nuclear phase-out policy to submit their resignations, based on the materials obtained during the search and seizure.

Prosecutors Conduct Search and Seizure at Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy over 'Blacklist Suspicion'
(Sejong=Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Juhyung = Prosecutors investigating the so-called 'Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy blacklist suspicion' case conducted a search and seizure at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
On the 25th, officials were busy moving around the nuclear power-related department at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in the Government Sejong Complex. 2022.3.25
kjhpress@yna.co.kr
(End)


＜Copyright(c) Yonhap News Agency, Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited＞

Pressuring Institution Heads to Resign to Promote 'Nuclear Phase-Out'

The suspicion of MOTIE's 'nuclear phase-out blacklist,' which was the background of the search and seizure, first emerged in January 2019. At that time, the Liberty Korea Party, the predecessor of the People Power Party, alleged that senior officials of MOTIE pressured the heads of four public institutions under MOTIE and the presidents of four KEPCO subsidiaries to collectively submit their resignations. The claim was that MOTIE coerced some personnel who did not align with the current government's 'code' to resign in order to promote the nuclear phase-out policy. Subsequently, former Minister Baek Woon-kyu and former Vice Minister Lee In-ho were reported for abuse of authority.

The KEPCO subsidiary presidents included in the blacklist publicly disclosed by the Liberty Korea Party were Jang Jae-won, former president of Namdong Power, Yoon Jong-geun, former president of Nambu Power, and Jeong Chang-gil, former president of Jungbu Power, among four individuals. The public institution heads included Moon Jae-do, former president of the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation, and Kim Kyung-won, former president of the District Heating Corporation, among four individuals. They all submitted their resignations collectively in September 2017, which were immediately accepted. MOTIE stated that the power company presidents voluntarily submitted their resignations.

The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, which handled the case, summoned former President Jang as a witness in May 2019 and conducted investigations, but the prosecution's investigation showed little progress until recently. However, the need for an investigation into MOTIE increased after the Supreme Court ruling on the Ministry of Environment blacklist case. Earlier this January, the Supreme Court upheld a two-year prison sentence for former Minister of Environment Kim Eun-kyung for abuse of authority related to the Ministry of Environment blacklist case. She was accused of coercing 15 executives of public institutions under the Ministry of Environment to resign, receiving resignations from 13 of them.

The prosecution also stated that it initiated the search and seizure of MOTIE after reviewing the legal principles in the Supreme Court ruling. The prosecution plans to analyze the materials secured through the search and seizure and conduct additional investigations targeting MOTIE directors if necessary.

Former Minister Baek Woon-gyu attending the warrant hearing on February 8 last year. Former Minister Baek is currently on trial for charges including involvement in manipulating the economic feasibility evaluation of Wolseong Unit 1.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Will This Be the Starting Signal for a 'Domino Investigation' of the Moon Administration?

There is speculation that this search and seizure could be the 'starting signal' for investigations related to the nuclear phase-out policy. Since the prosecution has drawn its sword to investigate allegations arising during the promotion of the nuclear phase-out policy, it is analyzed that investigations into power-related corruption cases of the current administration could follow in succession. The Wolseong Unit 1 economic feasibility evaluation manipulation case is a representative example. Former MOTIE Minister Baek Woon-kyu and former Blue House Industrial Policy Secretary Chae Hee-bong have already been indicted over allegations of the early shutdown of Wolseong Unit 1. Three other MOTIE officials were also indicted on charges of deleting some documents to facilitate the early shutdown of Wolseong Unit 1. Since the Wolseong Unit 1 early shutdown allegation was a decisive event that led to President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol's presidential candidacy, the prosecution is likely to focus its investigative power on this case.

The investigation into the Blue House's alleged interference in the Ulsan mayoral election is also expected to accelerate. In January 2020, the prosecution indicted former Blue House Civil Affairs Secretary Baek Won-woo, Ulsan Mayor Song Cheol-ho, and former Ulsan Police Chief Hwang Un-ha without detention on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act. However, the investigation into the election interference allegations has shown little progress since the prosecution's indictment.

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