President-Emerging 'Park Young-soo Special Investigation Team'... Special Prosecutors and Deputies Involved in Corruption

Former special prosecutor Park Young-soo, who led the Park Geun-hye-Choi Soon-sil state corruption investigation, is on the verge of being summoned by prosecutors for his involvement in the Daejang-dong development corruption scandal known as the '50 Billion Club.' Park's special prosecution team was highly praised, receiving strong public support and regarded as one of the most successful special prosecution teams in history. However, as Park's name has surfaced in various corruption cases, the team's reputation has been tarnished belatedly.

On the 15th, insiders within and outside the legal community evaluated that Park Young-soo's special prosecution team achieved results in both investigation and trial, securing convictions against former President Park Geun-hye, former Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Ki-chun, and Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, among others.

Former Special Prosecutor Park Young-soo.

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In particular, Park's special prosecution team was called the 'symbol of justice' as they summoned and investigated key figures from the Blue House, politics, and business circles, who were considered powerful at the time. By bringing down a sitting president through their investigation, Park effectively became a key contributor to the launch of the new government. Although prosecutors dispatched to Park's team experienced ups and downs during the Moon Jae-in administration, they are currently thriving.

Yoon Seok-youl, who served as the head of the investigation team in Park's special prosecution and was then a prosecutor at Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office, went on to become the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Prosecutor General, and eventually the President. Han Dong-hoon, the second team leader of the Corruption Crime Special Investigation Unit, served as the third deputy chief prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and head of the Anti-Corruption Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office before becoming Minister of Justice.

Shin Ja-yong and Yang Seok-jo, who were at the level of chief prosecutors at the time, currently hold top positions within the prosecution as Director of the Prosecutor's Office at the Ministry of Justice and Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, respectively. Those leading major ongoing investigations, such as the Daejang-dong development and the Democratic Party's party convention cash envelope distribution allegations, are also alumni of Park's special prosecution team. Ko Hyung-gon, the fourth deputy chief prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, and Kim Young-chul, head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2, were responsible for investigating the Samsung Group during the special prosecution. Lee Bok-hyun, who was a junior prosecutor on the special prosecution team, was later promoted to deputy chief prosecutor of the Special Investigation Division 2 at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, served in key roles such as head of the Special Investigation Division 4 and the Economic Crime Criminal Division, and was surprisingly appointed as the Financial Supervisory Service chief under the current administration.

On the other hand, Park Young-soo, who led the special prosecution team, has become the subject of prosecutorial investigation amid allegations of involvement in various corruption scandals. Since 2021, Park has appeared in multiple allegations. While maintaining the prosecution as a special prosecutor, Park was dishonorably discharged after receiving a Porsche rental car from a fake fisheries businessman named Kim and even introducing a current chief prosecutor from the special prosecution team to Kim.

Park, along with former special prosecutor aide Yang Jae-sik, was named in the '50 Billion Club' related to the Daejang-dong development corruption allegations. Park is suspected of exerting influence to prevent competing consortia from joining the Daejang-dong development project while serving as chairman of the outside board of directors at Woori Financial Group in 2014, when developer Kim Man-bae and others were preparing the project bid, thereby assisting in consortium formation. Prosecutors believe that Yang, as a former special prosecutor aide, handled practical work with private developers and discussed the Daejang-dong project during this process.

Prior to Park's summons, on the 12th, the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (led by Chief Prosecutor Eom Hee-jun) summoned Yang, known as Park's closest aide, as a suspect on charges including bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes and conducted an investigation. Additionally, former Woori Bank vice president Kim Jong-won, who was identified as a key figure related to the issuance of a letter of intent for credit by Woori Bank last month, and former Woori Card CEO Yoo Gu-hyun, who worked as head of the real estate finance business division at Woori Bank at the vice president level in 2014 when Park was chairman of the outside board of directors, were summoned as witnesses and investigated.

Park's name also appears in the 'SG Securities Stock Price Plunge Incident.' He is suspected of receiving several million won monthly in legal advisory fees from La Deok-yeon, CEO of Hoan, who was identified as the main culprit of market manipulation. Park's side claims he only played a simple advisory role, but controversy arose as it was revealed that he signed a consulting contract in September last year, when the '50 Billion Club' allegations surfaced and he became the subject of a prosecutorial investigation.

A lawyer who worked with Park said, "(Park) was quite sensitive to money," adding, "It is regrettable that individual misconduct is undermining the achievements of the special prosecution team."

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