The Corruption Investigation Office Coordinates Date for Prosecution Review Committee... 'Gobal Saju' Investigation Nears Completion

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (HCIC) is coordinating the date to hold the Prosecution Deliberation Committee ahead of the final handling of the so-called 'accusation solicitation' scandal involving President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol.

According to the legal community on the 10th, the HCIC is expected to hold the Prosecution Deliberation Committee soon to decide whether to indict suspects in the accusation solicitation case, including Son Jun-sung, Human Rights Protection Officer at Daegu High Prosecutors' Office, and Kim Woong, a member of the People Power Party.

The HCIC Prosecution Deliberation Committee consists of more than 10 members, including Lee Kang-won, former Chief Judge of Busan High Court (Chairman), who review whether to file charges. Typically, the HCIC makes a final decision 5 to 10 days after the committee meeting, so the investigation is expected to conclude within this month.

The HCIC has been investigating this case for about seven months since September last year, focusing on Prosecutor Son as a key figure. Son is suspected of instructing prosecutors under his command in April 2020, while serving as the Investigation Information Policy Officer at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, to draft complaints against figures in the ruling party and collect information, which he then passed to Representative Kim to solicit accusations.

The HCIC began the investigation by registering Son, the Human Rights Protection Officer, and President-elect Yoon, who was the Prosecutor General at the time of the incident, as suspects within a week after related reports surfaced in September last year. Subsequently, they conducted raids on Son, prosecutors in the Investigation Information Policy Office, Representative Kim, and People Power Party officials, and from October, they began summoning suspects and witnesses for formal questioning.

Since December last year, the HCIC also investigated allegations regarding the drafting of documents surveilling judges by President-elect Yoon and Officer Son, but the investigation was delayed due to Son's health issues. As the presidential election approached, the investigation into the accusation solicitation allegations was temporarily suspended.

The HCIC is likely to indict Prosecutor Son and Representative Kim without detention. Some prosecutors from the Investigation Information Policy Office may also be indicted, but it seems difficult to take action against Prosecutor General Han Dong-hoon, who was registered as a suspect. It is also widely expected that no separate action will be taken against President-elect Yoon.

Meanwhile, the HCIC stated on the day, "We are reviewing and promoting the holding of the Prosecution Deliberation Committee to handle the ongoing investigation," but added, "We ask for your understanding that we cannot disclose the schedule for the committee, the results of the deliberation, or the expected outcome of the HCIC's handling of the case until the committee concludes and the HCIC makes its final decision."

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