'Industry Ministry Blacklist' Baek Woon-gyu Completes 14-Hour Investigation... Targeting Moon Administration? (Comprehensive)

Investigation of Five Accused Completed... Investigation Expected to Accelerate

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] The prosecution investigating allegations of a blacklist at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy summoned former Minister Baek Woon-gyu on the 9th and questioned him for 14 hours. Attention is focused on whether the prosecution will expand the investigation to include suspicions of involvement by higher-ups such as the Blue House.

The Corporate and Labor Crime Division of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Choi Hyung-won) announced that they summoned former Minister Baek in the morning and questioned him for about 14 hours as a suspect. This is the first time the prosecution has summoned former Minister Baek in over three years since the blacklist allegations at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy surfaced in January 2019.

Former Minister Baek is accused of abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights by unfairly forcing heads of affiliated organizations under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, whose terms remained, to submit resignations between 2017 and 2018, early in the Moon Jae-in administration. Previously, the Liberty Korea Party (now the People Power Party) filed a complaint with the prosecution in 2019, accusing former Minister Baek and former Vice Minister Lee of abuse of authority related to the blacklist allegations.

The prosecution began a full-scale investigation immediately after the presidential election. In March, the prosecution conducted raids on the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and eight affiliated organizations. On the 19th of last month, they raided former Minister Baek’s residence, the Hanyang University Fusion Technology Center office, the Korea Energy Technology Evaluation Institute, and six other affiliated organizations. Regarding this, former Minister Baek stated, "I did not act under the Blue House’s instructions," and "I always handled matters in compliance with laws and regulations."

Having completed investigations of the five key individuals reported to the prosecution, it is expected that the investigation will now focus on whether higher-ups, including the Blue House during the Moon administration, were involved. So far, no personnel from the previous administration’s Blue House have been questioned by the prosecution regarding the blacklist allegations at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

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