Son Junsung's Second Detention Hearing Ends After 3 Hours, Responds to Reporters' Questions with "..."

by Kim Daehyun

Published 02 Dec.2021 14:26(KST)

Prosecutor Son Jun-sung (former Policy Officer for Investigation Information at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office), identified as a key figure in the alleged report-for-prosecution scandal, is attending the second pre-arrest hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 2nd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] The second detention hearing of Son Junsung, the Daegu High Prosecutors' Office Human Rights Protection Officer (prosecutor) and a key suspect in the 'accusation manipulation' scandal, ended after about three hours. Son faced the possibility of detention again 37 days after the first detention warrant requested by the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (HOCI) was dismissed by the court on October 26.

On the 2nd, Son attended the detention hearing (warrant substantive examination) held from 10:30 a.m. under the presiding of Judge Seo Bomin, who is in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, and left the court after the hearing. He did not respond to reporters' questions about what he mainly explained.

After hearing opinions from both HOCI and Son’s former policy officer side, Judge Seo is expected to decide on the detention by late night at the earliest after reviewing the records. Until then, Son will wait at the Seoul Detention Center for the warrant issuance decision.

The HOCI investigation team on the accusation manipulation case (led by Deputy Chief Prosecutor Yeo Woon-guk) re-requested a detention warrant for Son on the 30th of last month. The charges against Son include abuse of authority, obstruction of the exercise of rights, official secrets leakage, violations of the Personal Information Protection Act, the Electronic Criminal Procedure Act, and the Public Official Election Act. Around April last year, while working as the Investigation Information Policy Officer at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, he allegedly instructed subordinate prosecutors to draft accusation letters and collect supporting materials regarding passport holders and journalists, and delivered the accusation letters to Kim Woong, a member of the People Power Party (then a candidate for the United Future Party in the general election).

HOCI is known to have specified the circumstances of the case more concretely in this warrant request than in the previously dismissed first request. They identified the senior officials who conspired with Son and the accusation letter drafters as Prosecutor Seongmo and Prosecutor Immo, prosecutors working in the Investigation Information Policy Office of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office at the time. The first detention warrant request did not specify these individuals, listing them as 'unknown persons,' which sparked controversy over the 'insufficient warrant.'

Also, the phrase from the first request stating 'Son conspired with unknown senior prosecutorial officials' was omitted this time. This is interpreted as a strategic focus on securing Son’s custody to prove the charges rather than clarifying the possible involvement of candidate Yoon, who was also initially investigated.

On the other hand, Son’s side stated, "HOCI re-requested the warrant despite no significant change in circumstances after the warrant was dismissed, following renewed accusations by ruling party lawmakers against Son," and added, "This clearly shows the political motive of the investigation." They also said, "After filing a quasi-appeal against HOCI’s search and seizure procedures, they immediately requested a warrant, which goes beyond undermining the right to defense and feels like a retaliatory detention attempt, causing judicial fear."

If Son is detained, HOCI will gain momentum to also target Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party’s presidential candidate (former Prosecutor General), but if not, the related investigation may come to an end.