Prosecutor General's Office: "Bribery Allegations Against Prosecutor General Are Not True"... Account Details Also Released

On the 30th, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office refuted the bribery allegations against Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok raised by some YouTube channels by disclosing the account details of the Prosecutor General's spouse, stating that the claims are unfounded.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office revealed on the 30th that the allegations of Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok accepting bribes are not true, presenting the account details of Prosecutor General Lee's spouse, Mr. Oh. Photo by Supreme Prosecutors' Office

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On the same day, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office told reporters, "Neither the Prosecutor General nor his spouse engaged in any private financial transactions while serving as public officials." This was a direct response to the YouTube channel 'Seoul's Voice' and former MBC journalist Jang In-soo, among others, who announced their intention to expose the bribery allegations against the Prosecutor General. On the 25th, Jang reportedly demanded that the Supreme Prosecutors' Office clarify the matter, claiming, "We have confirmed that lawyer Park, a former prosecutor, gave a large sum of money that appears to be a bribe to the Prosecutor General." The media and YouTubers who raised the allegations also presented related remittance transaction records as evidence.

Since January, the media have alleged that Park's spouse, Jung, transferred 41 million won twice?on March 25 and April 15, 2016?to the Prosecutor General's spouse, Oh. Lawyer Park was investigated and indicted in 2016 on charges of market manipulation. He is also a key figure in the so-called 'sponsor prosecutor' case involving former Chief Prosecutor Kim Hyung-jun and others.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office revealed on the 30th that the allegations of Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok accepting bribes are not true, presenting the account details of Prosecutor General Lee's spouse, Mr. Oh. Photo by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office

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In 2016, the Prosecutor General had about 30 phone calls or exchanged messages with Park. When this issue was raised during the 2022 confirmation hearing, he explained, "While Park was serving as a prosecutor, I inquired about several reference points from him to apprehend a legal broker who was indicted and detained." The Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Inspection Department investigated the matter and concluded there was no problem.

The account transaction details of Oh, disclosed by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the same day, confirmed that there were no records of large remittances from Park's side. It is said that the Prosecutor General confirmed with his spouse whether any actual transactions had occurred. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office stated that the transaction records received by the media and YouTubers were fabricated false documents. Media outlets that confirmed the transaction records were false did not report on them, but some YouTube channels announced reports despite the clarifications, prompting the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to express regret.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office stated, "If the Prosecutor General's false videos are posted based on fabricated materials, we will strictly hold all legal responsibilities against those who manipulated or distributed the financial transaction data."

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