Joo Jin-woo "Search of Ministry of Industry Possible 3 Years Ago... Timing of Forced Investigation Now Is Strange"

2019 Prosecutor Investigation Lead
"Successor's Share... All Records Prepared"

[Asia Economy reporters Seongpil Jo and Sehee Jang] Former Seoul Eastern District Prosecutor’s Office Chief Prosecutor Joo Jin-woo recently commented on the prosecution’s initiation of a forced investigation into the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy blacklist allegations, saying, "The timing is peculiar," and added, "Records were already prepared three years ago to allow for a search and seizure at any time." Joo, who was the head of the Criminal Division 6 at the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutor’s Office in 2019, was the person responsible for the practical investigation of this case. He was also the key investigator in the similar case involving the Ministry of Environment blacklist allegations. After indicting former Minister of Environment Kim Eun-kyung, he was reassigned in a demotion and left the prosecution in July of that year. He is currently serving as the head of the personnel verification team at the 20th Presidential Transition Committee.

In a phone interview with Asia Economy on the 29th, former Chief Prosecutor Joo said about the investigation status of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy blacklist allegations three years ago, "We investigated the presidents of four subsidiaries of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) as witnesses and created records," adding, "Forced investigation was possible, but since there were less than two months left until the prosecution personnel reshuffle, we did not conduct a search and seizure on the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and others." In May 2019, the Criminal Division 6 of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutor’s Office, led by Joo, investigated the presidents of four out of six KEPCO power generation subsidiaries who had submitted their resignations with about two years left in their terms: Korea South-East Power (President Jang Jae-won), Korea Southern Power (President Yoon Jong-geun), Korea Western Power (President Jung Ha-hwang), and Korea Midland Power (President Jung Chang-gil). Based on their statements, it was found that the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy pressured heads of affiliated organizations to illegally obtain their resignations. However, Joo explained that since his transfer was certain in the July 2019 prosecution personnel reshuffle, he left subsequent investigation procedures such as search and seizure to his successor.

Former Chief Prosecutor Joo said, "I thought my successor would pick up the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy blacklist case." He added, "If a search and seizure is conducted during an investigation, the person who will close the case should do it. From the successor’s perspective, it would be unreasonable to take over the scope of the search and seizure already done by the predecessor." In the prosecution personnel reshuffle at that time, Lee Jung-seop, currently head of the Criminal Division 2 at Daegu District Prosecutor’s Office, was transferred as Joo’s successor. However, contrary to Joo’s expectations, Lee investigated the ‘Blue House inspection cover-up’ allegations. Former Busan Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs Yoo Jae-soo and former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk were successively prosecuted. Subsequently, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy blacklist allegations sank beneath the surface, overshadowed by the ‘Cho Kuk incident.’ Kim Nam-hoon, the current head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division at Daegu District Prosecutor’s Office and successor to Lee, also did not touch this case.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy blacklist allegations, which had been dormant for three years, have recently reignited investigation efforts. The Criminal Division 6 of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutor’s Office (Chief Prosecutor Choi Hyung-won) began a forced investigation this month into the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and four KEPCO power generation subsidiaries. This is 38 months after the case was reported and 35 months since former Chief Prosecutor Joo stepped away. Joo said, "I was surprised to see the media reports about the search and seizure." He added, "Conducting a search and seizure means the investigation will be pursued for several months," and said, "I wondered, ‘Why did they conduct a search and seizure?’" Prosecution personnel reshuffles usually occur around July. Chief Prosecutor Choi, who was appointed around the same time last year, is subject to this year’s reshuffle and must complete the investigation within three months.

Former Chief Prosecutor Joo did not hide his suspicion about the background of the prosecution reopening the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy blacklist allegations after the 20th presidential election confirmed a regime change. Some in the legal community interpret the recent forced investigation by the prosecution as a signal shot targeting the current administration. The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutor’s Office cautions against overinterpretation, stating, "Since the Supreme Court legally ruled that the ‘Ministry of Environment blacklist’ case is a crime, we have proceeded with the investigation." However, Joo said, "If the prosecution wanted to investigate, they should have done so earlier," and emphasized, "The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy blacklist allegations are a case with clear facts."

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