Protest Rally Against Successive Raids... Prosecution vs Lawyers in 'Conflict Phase'

Recently, as lawyers have taken collective action in protest against the prosecution's successive raids and forced investigations on law firms and attorneys, the conflict between the two groups is expected to intensify.

Prosecutors [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the legal community on the 27th, the Korean Bar Association (KBA) will hold a rally on the 28th from 10 a.m. for one hour near the courthouse intersection in Seocho-dong, Seoul, condemning the prosecution's raids on lawyers' offices and the court's issuance of warrants. The KBA announced that Chairman Kim Young-hoon and many affiliated members will participate.

The prosecution has conducted raids on lawyers' offices three times just this month. The lawyers in question are under investigation by the prosecution on charges including suborning perjury and violations of the Personal Information Protection Act. Amid this, there is an analysis that lawyers' opposition to the prosecution's investigation will intensify further after this KBA rally. Since the prosecution believes that these lawyers committed serious crimes by deceiving the court and obstructing judicial procedures and has launched an investigation, both sides are expected to confront each other fiercely inside and outside the courtroom for the time being.

The prosecution may also speed up its investigation to clarify the lawyers' charges. The 'suborning perjury' allegations arising from the trial of former Deputy Director Kim Yong of the Democratic Research Institute for violations of the Political Funds Act are drawing the most attention. On May 4, former Gyeonggi-do Market Commercial Promotion Agency Director Lee (64) appeared as a witness in Kim's trial and allegedly committed perjury regarding Kim's alibi, allegedly under the direction of lawyer Lee, who legally represents Kim. Lee did not submit a mobile phone containing notes that could prove his testimony to the court, raising suspicions of perjury. The Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 3 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kang Baek-shin) conducted a raid on the residence of lawyer Lee, suspected of ordering the perjury, on the 24th during the investigation. In response, former Deputy Director Kim strongly criticized the prosecution, organizing and listing facts related to the perjury allegations, saying, "(The prosecution) is using a low and despicable tactic to solidify the frame of 'judicial obstruction and perjury' to obtain an arrest warrant against Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea."

Around the same time, the Criminal Division 1 of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Son Jin-wook) also raided the office of lawyer Hyun Geun-taek, who represents former Gyeonggi-do Peace Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young, on charges including violations of the Personal Information Protection Act. Lawyer Hyun is suspected of leaking trial records related to Lee's bribery case. The prosecution is investigating the circumstances, believing that the trial records were delivered to Lee Jae-myung through lawyer Hyun. The prosecution also summoned lawyer Seo Min-seok of the law firm Haegwang, who resigned after representing former Deputy Governor Lee, for questioning. Additionally, the prosecution pressured lawyer Kim Hyung-tae of the law firm Deoksu, who submitted an opinion contrary to the defendant Lee's and resigned, causing the trial to stall, by stating that they would consider necessary measures such as requesting disciplinary action.

Korean Bar Association
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 20th, law firm Yulchon was raided by the Capital Markets Special Judicial Police of the Financial Supervisory Service in connection with allegations of stock price manipulation involving SM Entertainment. Earlier this year, Yulchon provided legal advice to Kakao during the acquisition battle between Kakao and HYBE for SM Entertainment.

Raids on lawyers are not unprecedented. However, it is considered unusual that multiple lawyers have been targeted intensively for forced investigations around the same time. The first case was in August 2016 when Yulchon was raided by the prosecution in connection with the tax evasion case of Lotte Group Chairman Shin Kyuk-ho. Law firm Kim & Chang was raided by the prosecution in November 2018 over allegations of abuse of judicial administrative power and again in February 2019 related to the humidifier disinfectant case. In December 2022, law firm Bae, Kim & Lee was raided by the prosecution in connection with the concealment of assets by Kim Man-bae, the major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management.

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