Norman Seok: "Getting Closer to Uncovering Alleged External Pressure in Drug Investigation... Supplementary Investigation Authority as 'Second Line of Defense'" [2025 National Audit]

Acting Prosecutor General:
"Investigation Results the Public Can Accept Will Be Released"

Norman Seok, Acting Prosecutor General, is reporting at the 2025 National Assembly inspection held by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee in Yeouido, Seoul on the 27th. 2025.10.27 Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Norman Seok, Acting Prosecutor General (Deputy Prosecutor General of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office), stated on the 27th regarding the investigation into the alleged external pressure on customs drug investigations, "I have received reports that we are getting significantly closer to uncovering the facts."

At the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee's inspection of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office held on this day, Acting Prosecutor General Seok responded to questions about the progress of the investigation by saying, "I believe that investigation results that the public can accept will be released soon."

Joo Jinwoo, a member of the People Power Party, commented on the recent repatriation of Cambodian crime participants by chartered flight, stating, "It was as if we went out to greet people who would have been deported anyway." In response, Acting Prosecutor General Seok said, "Of course, from the perspective of voice phishing crimes, the suspects are indeed perpetrators, but the fact that they were illegally detained overseas makes them victims in another sense. Both aspects must be considered." He also agreed with the point that measures are needed to prevent domestic bank accounts from being opened in the names of voice phishing participants, saying, "Completely blocking access to bank accounts is indeed the most important part."

Regarding the prosecution's supplementary investigation authority, Acting Prosecutor General Seok said, "If the police are the first line of defense, then the prosecution should serve as the second line of defense. As Acting Prosecutor General, I receive nearly 40 to 50 intelligence reports every day. Among the cases transferred from the police, there are more than 50 cases a day where the real culprit was identified, the perpetrator and victim were found to be reversed, or the mastermind was uncovered."

He continued, "Every time I read these reports, I realize why supplementary investigations are necessary. That's about 600 cases a month and nearly 10,000 cases a year. These are the tasks we must undertake. That is why I have told the media, 'Supplementary investigations by the prosecution are not a right, but a duty for the public.'"

He added, "The police also conduct good investigations. However, if we screen the cases once more, we can see things from a broader perspective and more differences become apparent. By establishing a second line of defense, we can better protect the public from crime. That is the purpose behind our request for supplementary investigations. We are not asking for this because it is an authority, but because it is necessary."

In response to Acting Prosecutor General Seok's answer, Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chairperson Choo Mi-ae asked, "Can everything really be resolved only through supplementary investigations?" She continued, "What are the current investigation guidelines for cooperation between the police and prosecution? They are supposed to consult. If proper legal advice is provided from the early stages of an investigation, incidents like the Coupang case would not occur."

When Acting Prosecutor General Seok argued, "We are accepting 100% of the consultations initiated by the police," Chairperson Choo replied, "It must be done properly in practice. If a structure for mutual consultation from the early stages of an investigation had been established, it would simply be a matter of supplementing each other's work."

Regarding the 'alleged loss of the Geonjin Buddhist talisman band,' he said, "To resolve public suspicion, the Minister has decided to refer the case to the permanent special prosecutor. I believe the permanent special prosecutor will be able to clearly determine the facts."

In response to Democratic Party lawmaker Park Kyuntaek's question about whether there is a willingness to discipline the prosecutor implicated in the alleged fabrication of testimony during the investigation of former Vice Governor Lee Hwayoung, Acting Prosecutor General Seok answered, "I will review the results of the investigation by the Human Rights Violation Task Force established at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office and will take appropriate action accordingly."

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