The second comprehensive special investigation team, led by Special Prosecutor Kwon Chang-young, has ramped up its probe into allegations of witness coercion and manipulation of charges in the Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance case. The team has officially designated Park Sang-yong, deputy chief prosecutor of the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office, as a suspect.
Legal sources reported on Friday that the special investigation team had named Prosecutor Park as a suspect on the previous day and imposed a travel ban on him.
Prosecutor Park is accused of attempting to coerce testimony related to President Lee Jae Myung from Lee Hwa-young, a key suspect and former Gyeonggi Province deputy governor for peace, during a salmon sashimi and alcohol party held at the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office in May-June 2023.
Earlier, the special investigation team expressed suspicions of collusion between the Yongsan Presidential Office and the prosecution during the North Korea remittance case investigation, labeling it a suspected massive state corruption case.
The investigation aims to determine whether former Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs Lee Si-won and other officials from the Presidential Office were directly or indirectly involved in the North Korea remittance case. Ultimately, it seeks to establish if former President Yoon Suk Yeol was involved as the final authority.
To assess the Yongsan Presidential Office’s involvement, investigators plan to examine whether former President Yoon received any briefings related to the investigation.
The team will also probe potential violations of legal procedures during the investigation, including allegations of witness coercion by prosecutors. This suggests the possibility that the prosecution may have conducted an overzealous investigation under pressure from the Yongsan Presidential Office.
The special investigation team is expected to sequentially question Prosecutor Park, other prosecutors involved in the case, investigative agency officials, and individuals associated with the Yongsan Presidential Office. There is significant interest in whether former President Yoon will be summoned for questioning.
Prosecutor Park has vehemently denied the allegations, stating that it is completely untrue. His superior, former Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office Chief Hong Seung-wook, also criticized the special investigation into Park, calling it a clear act of retaliation.
The political neutrality of the special investigation team has come under scrutiny. A deputy special prosecutor made headlines by appearing on a pro-government YouTube channel to provide an exclusive interview about the initial direction of the investigation.
On Thursday, Deputy Special Prosecutor Kim Ji-mi appeared on the “Kim Eo-jun’s Humble News Factory” YouTube channel, stating in a segment titled, Jeong Jun-hee’s Argument, that in the early stages, it’s focusing on what has changed since the Yoon administration took office. It’s examining how these sudden changes relate to potential insurrection.
When discussing the timing of summoning key suspects, including former President Yoon and Kim Keon Hee, the host referred to it as a build-up process, with Kim suggesting that viewers might soon witness the desired (attendance) scene.
Article 13 of the Special Counsel Act, which serves as the legal basis for the operation of the second special investigation, allows for media briefings on the investigation process while excluding details of the allegations to ensure the public’s right to know.
However, the previous three major special investigation teams (insurrection, Kim Keon Hee, and deceased Marines) did not engage in any interviews or official media coverage during their investigation periods, aside from scheduled media briefings.
Critics argue that the special investigation team, which should maintain political neutrality and fairness throughout the probe, is openly revealing its political bias from the outset. This has raised concerns about the credibility of future investigation results.