Prosecutors Reinvestigate 'Ulsan Mayor Election Interference Allegations'... Presidential Archives Raided

On the 7th, the prosecution, which is reinvestigating the 2018 Ulsan mayoral election interference suspicion case, conducted a search and seizure at the Presidential Archives.

Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Seocho-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

The Public Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Jeong Won-du) sent prosecutors and investigators to the Presidential Archives in Sejong City that morning to secure internal materials.

A prosecution official stated, "In relation to the reinvestigation of the Ulsan mayoral election interference suspicion case, which resumed following the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office's order for reinvestigation in January this year, a search warrant was executed against the Presidential Archives."

Earlier, the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, after thoroughly reviewing existing investigation records, trial records, and the Seoul Central District Court ruling from November last year regarding the appeal on the Ulsan mayoral election interference and abuse of power case in January this year, determined that additional investigation was necessary concerning the 'Ulsan Police Agency's directed investigation and bribery allegations against the Ulsan mayoral candidate.' Consequently, it ordered reinvestigation of former Presidential Chief of Staff Lim Jong-seok, former Senior Secretary to the President for Civil Affairs Cho Kuk, former Secretary to the President for Civil Affairs Lee Kwang-cheol, former Ulsan Mayor Song Cheol-ho, and former Ulsan Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs Song Byung-gi.

Initially, the prosecution believed there was evidence that former Chief of Staff Lim and former Senior Secretary Cho had persuaded internal party competitors to withdraw their candidacies to ensure former Mayor Song's election, but due to insufficient evidence to prove the charges, they were not indicted in April 2021.

However, in November last year, the court, in its first-instance ruling on the Ulsan mayoral election interference case, effectively acknowledged that the Blue House had systematically intervened to secure former Mayor Song's election and sentenced all defendants affiliated with the Civil Affairs Office, explicitly stating the charges against former Chief of Staff Lim and former Minister Cho in the judgment.

The court at that time judged, "Former Blue House Anti-Corruption Secretary Park Hyung-cheol ensured that police investigation status reports, which were reported to the Anti-Corruption Office, were also reported to Civil Affairs Secretary Baek Won-woo and Senior Secretary Cho Kuk." Regarding the 'bribery of competing candidates' charge, it also recognized the fact that "Lim Dong-ho (a competitor of former Mayor Song) told then-Chief of Staff Lim Jong-seok at a 2017 Democratic Party 86 class meeting that if he became a Democratic Party Supreme Council member, he wanted to be appointed as the Consul General in Osaka."

Following this ruling, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office assigned the case, in which the Committee for the Protection of the Common People and Livelihoods accused former Chief of Staff Lim and former Senior Secretary Cho of violating the Public Official Election Act and abuse of power, to the Public Investigation Division 2.

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