Police Decide Not to Prosecute President Yoon for Bribery Allegations During His Prosecutor Days

"Insufficient Objective Evidence"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is giving a greeting speech at the '2022 National Assembly Members Workshop Dinner' held on the 25th at the Jaeneung Education Training Center in Cheonan, Chungnam. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] The police have decided not to prosecute in the case accusing President Yoon Seok-yeol of receiving entertainment from the chairman of a construction company and exerting undue pressure on an investigation while serving as a prosecutor.

According to a compilation of reports on the 26th, the Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency concluded on the 22nd that there was "insufficient evidence" and cleared President Yoon of bribery charges under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.

The allegations involve President Yoon exerting improper pressure on the embezzlement case involving executives of Sambu Construction, which was handled by the Special 2 Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, while he served as head of the Central Investigation Division 1 at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office from September 2011 to July 2012. Additionally, there were suspicions that from September 2007 to May 2012, President Yoon received gifts and golf entertainment from former Sambu Construction chairman Cho Nam-wook.

In July last year, the civic group Judicial Justice Citizens' Action (Sasehaeng) filed a complaint against President Yoon with the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Division (Public Officials Corruption Investigation Office). Prior to the complainant investigation in May, Kim Han-me, head of Sasehaeng, claimed, "President Yoon, as an active prosecutor, received bribes such as holiday gifts and golf entertainment from former chairman Cho and exerted undue pressure on the investigation involving multiple Sambu Construction executives, helping him avoid punishment."

The police who took over the case reportedly judged that there was no objective evidence proving bribery or exertion of undue pressure.

Kim Han-me, head of Sasehaeng, stated, "We strongly condemn the tragic reality of the police granting impunity to those in power," and added, "We plan to file an objection."

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