Incheon Prosecutors Launch Additional Inspection of Park Sangyong... Park: "There Was No Salmon Drinking Party"

Incheon District Prosecutors' Office Launches Preliminary Inquiry
Over Refusal to Take Oath at National Assembly Hearing
Park Sangyong: "I Will Prepare to Reveal the Remaining Truths"

Deputy Chief Prosecutor Sangyong Park of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office, who has been referred for severe disciplinary action by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in connection with allegations such as the so-called 'salmon drinking party' raised during the investigation into the Ssangbangwool illicit remittance to North Korea case, is now also subject to an additional internal inspection by his own prosecution office. Prosecutor Park has repeatedly denied the allegations, stating, "There was no drinking party."

Prosecutor Sangyong Park appeared at the hearing of the Special Committee on the National Assembly held on the 14th regarding the allegations of political prosecution and manipulated indictments under the Yoon Seok-youl administration, refused to take the witness oath, and left the room to wait outside the meeting hall. 2026.4.14 Photo by Hyunmin Kim

According to the legal community on May 13, the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office is said to have established a plan to conduct a preliminary investigation for an internal inspection of Prosecutor Park. This investigation reportedly targets actions such as Prosecutor Park's refusal to take the oath at last month's National Assembly hearing on the 'Ssangbangwool illicit remittance to North Korea case.'

If, after the preliminary investigation, the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office decides to initiate a formal inspection, there is a possibility that additional grounds for disciplinary action against Prosecutor Park may be added in the future.

On this day, Prosecutor Park posted a statement on his Facebook page expressing his position regarding the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's request for disciplinary action. He said, "The much-hyped salmon drinking party, the testimony seminar, and the sentence bargaining did not actually occur," adding, "I pay my respects to the committee for giving me the opportunity to explain for the first time." However, he also commented, "Any parts where opinions differed were due to my insufficient explanation." He further stated, "I will prepare thoroughly so that all other truths are revealed in future proceedings."

The previous day, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, following a review by the Inspection Committee, requested that the Ministry of Justice impose a two-month suspension as a severe disciplinary measure against Prosecutor Park. According to the findings of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office's Human Rights Violation Task Force, it was confirmed that Prosecutor Park: ▲unjustly demanded confessions through defense counsel while referencing other cases under investigation; ▲summoned detainees for questioning but failed to prepare investigation process verification documents; and ▲provided food or facilitated meetings without legitimate reasons, all of which were recognized as violations of regulations.

However, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office respected the Inspection Committee's decision and excluded from the disciplinary request the failure to prevent alcohol from being brought in and served due to poor management, as well as the unnecessary repeated summoning of witnesses. While it cannot be conclusively determined, as initially alleged, that a 'salmon drinking party' intended to persuade suspects to change their statements was held, the facts that salmon and other outside food were brought into the prosecutor's office and that confessions were sought through attorneys were acknowledged.

In May 2023, while investigating the illicit remittance to North Korea case at the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, Prosecutor Park was suspected of providing salmon and alcohol to Lee Hwa-young, former Vice Governor for Peace of Gyeonggi Province, and Kim Sung-tae, former chairman of Ssangbangwool, allegedly in an attempt to induce their statements. The final decision on whether and to what extent Prosecutor Park will be disciplined will be made by the Ministry of Justice's Inspection Committee and Disciplinary Committee.

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