Kim Tae-woo: "If Complete Prosecution Reform Passes, Investigations Like Those of Cho Kuk and Ulsan Mayor Elections Won't Be Possible"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Kim Tae-woo, a former prosecutor investigator who exposed allegations of the Blue House special inspection team's cover-up, claimed that "if the 'Geomsu Wanbak' (complete removal of prosecutorial investigative authority) bill passes, investigations into cases like this (the Blue House's interference in the Ulsan mayoral election) will no longer be possible."

On the 25th, Kim, while appearing as a witness at the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 21-3 (Presiding Judges Jang Yong-beom, Ma Seong-young, Kim Jeong-gon) trial of Song Cheol-ho, Ulsan mayor, Hwang Un-ha, Democratic Party member of the National Assembly (former Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency chief), Baek Won-woo, former Blue House civil affairs secretary, and Park Hyung-cheol, former Blue House anti-corruption secretary, spoke to reporters with these remarks.

He said, "Currently, Democratic Party politicians are doing the absurd act called Geomsu Wanbak," and criticized, "In the world, which country's politicians make laws to avoid being investigated themselves?"

He added, "If this happens (if Geomsu Wanbak is enacted), investigations into the Cho Kuk case, the Ministry of Environment blacklist case, and the Ulsan case being tried today will not be possible."

Kim explained, "Before the 2018 local elections, I found a document someone had printed and accidentally left behind on a multifunction device used communally in the Blue House office, which was related to the Ulsan mayoral election interference case," and said, "I took a photo of the document first."

Regarding whether Cho Kuk, then Minister of Justice and Blue House civil affairs chief, was involved in the Blue House's election interference, he said, "It is unlikely he did not know," and added, "They might say they did not see (the report), but since it was very sensitive content, I believe he was briefed."

He also asserted, "There is absolutely no structure where documents leaving the Presidential Secretariat go out without the civil affairs chief's approval," and claimed, "If the document was even transferred, it is certain that it was seen."

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