Prosecutors Add Charges of Aiding Breach of Trust Against Former Minister of Industry Baek Woon-kyu, 'Indictment Amended'

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The prosecution has applied additional charges of aiding and abetting breach of trust against former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Baek Woon-gyu. Former Minister Baek is suspected of manipulating the economic feasibility evaluation of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1.

The Criminal Division 4 of Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Tae-hoon) announced on the 29th that it has filed a motion to amend the indictment to include charges of aiding and abetting breach of trust under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes and aiding and abetting obstruction of business against former Minister Baek.

The additional charges center on the allegation that former Minister Baek instructed Jeong Jae-hoon and other officials of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (hereinafter KHNP) to manipulate the economic feasibility evaluation of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1, deceived the board of directors to pass a resolution for early shutdown, thereby causing KHNP damages amounting to approximately 148.1 billion won.

A prosecution official explained, "The prosecution has reviewed the overall investigation and trial situation through investigations of Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy officials and questioning of key witnesses. As a result, the prosecution concluded that former Minister Baek should be punished for aiding and abetting breach of trust and other charges."

However, the prosecution explained that the additional charges are in a relationship of ideal concurrence with the charges already indicted and under trial, recognizing the identity of acts, so the procedure followed is an amendment of the indictment to add charges rather than a new indictment.

Meanwhile, in June last year, the prosecution indicted former Minister Baek and former Blue House Industrial Policy Secretary Chae Hee-bong on charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of business.

Also, KHNP President Jeong Jae-hoon was indicted on charges of breach of trust for manipulating the economic feasibility evaluation related to the shutdown of Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1, deceiving the KHNP board of directors, and leading the suspension of the nuclear plant operation, causing damages to KHNP.

At that time, the prosecution held the position that former Minister Baek, having ordered the shutdown of the nuclear plant, should be indicted together with President Jeong on charges including aiding and abetting breach of trust, but was unable to file additional charges due to the non-prosecution recommendation by the Prosecution Investigation Review Committee.

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