On Thursday, former judge Kwon Chang Young was appointed as the special prosecutor to lead the second comprehensive investigation into alleged election interference by former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, as well as potential insurrection and foreign exchange crimes linked to the so-called “Noh Sang Won notebook.”
Legal and political sources report that President Lee Jae Myung selected Kwon from two candidates put forward by the Democratic Party and the Justice Innovation Party.
In an interview with News1, Kwon said he would strive to uphold the Constitution and ensure justice by meticulously uncovering facts, rigorously applying legal principles, and maintaining a thorough prosecution to meet public expectations.
The special investigation team will undergo a 20-day preparation period before launching a 90-day main investigation. If necessary, they can extend the probe twice, each time for 30 days, allowing for a maximum duration of 170 days. Should the investigation reach its full length, it could continue past the June local elections.
Kwon, a labor law expert, graduated from Mokpo High School and studied physics at Seoul National University. He served as a judge in various courts, including the Seoul Administrative Court, Seoul Southern District Court, and Seoul High Court.
Building on the work of three previous special investigations (insurrection, Kim Keon Hee, and deceased Marines), the new team will first examine allegations surrounding the Noh Sang Won notebook, which was transferred from the Insurrection Special Investigation Team to the National Police Agency’s Investigation Bureau. They will also look into foreign exchange-related suspicions.
The team aims to clarify the contents of the notebook, which reportedly includes unresolved items to be collected and executed, as well as plans for an emergency legislative body and the dissolution of the National Assembly.
They will also investigate claims that North Korea attempted to provoke attacks through threatening helicopter flights over the Northern Limit Line (NLL) between March 2022 and December 2024.
Furthermore, the team will revisit election interference allegations and lobbying efforts for the release of imprisoned Marines, previously examined by separate special investigation teams.
The probe will encompass alleged interference in the 22nd National Assembly elections and 2022 by-elections, as well as claims that Kim Keon Hee lobbied for the release of former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Im Sung Geun. Investigators will also look into suspicions that the couple received updates on ongoing investigations and attempted to suppress or conceal information.
The legal community is divided on the effectiveness of this new special investigation.
A law professor in Seoul expressed skepticism, saying the previous three investigations had already examined the issues separately and questioning whether a single agency could achieve better results by combining them.
He suggested that for the new investigation to succeed, it should involve personnel from the previous probes.
A former prosecutor who is now an attorney said launching a special investigation is a priority, adding that if uncovering the truth through a comprehensive probe is considered crucial, it is necessary to proceed.