Prosecutors Indict Baek Won-woo and Park Hyung-cheol Without Detention Over Alleged Cover-up of Yu Jae-su's Inspection... "Co-conspirators of Cho Kuk"

Baek Won-woo, former Blue House Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] The prosecution investigating the allegations of 'cover-up of Yoo Jae-soo's inspection' has indicted former Blue House Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Baek Won-woo and former Blue House Anti-Corruption Secretary Park Hyung-chul. The prosecution judged that former Secretary Baek and former Secretary Park were accomplices of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, who was previously indicted for halting the inspection of Yoo Jae-soo, former Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs of Busan.

The Criminal Division 6 of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Lee Jung-seop) announced on the 29th that they had indicted former Secretary Baek and former Secretary Park without detention on charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights.

The prosecution explained, "As a result of investigating the case of former Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Cho Kuk's cover-up of Yoo Jae-soo's inspection, it was confirmed that in addition to Cho Kuk, who was already indicted on charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights, former Secretary Baek and former Secretary Park are also accomplices." The prosecution added that it has requested the court to consolidate this case with the case against former Minister Cho.

The indictment of former Secretary Baek and former Secretary Park was decided 12 days after former Minister Cho was indicted. When indicting former Minister Cho on the 17th, the prosecution stated, "During the inspection process of Yoo Jae-soo by the Special Inspection Team of the Blue House Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs, despite confirming serious misconduct allegations, an illegal order was given to halt the inspection, and proper follow-up measures were not taken. It was confirmed that the inspection activities of the Special Inspection Team members were obstructed, and the inspection and personnel authority of the Financial Services Commission officials were infringed."

The prosecution believes that former Secretary Baek and former Secretary Park received a request in 2017 to halt the inspection of former Deputy Mayor Yoo's misconduct and conveyed it to former Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Cho Kuk, who was then in office, resulting in the inspection being halted.

The prosecution plans to request the court to consolidate this indictment with the abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights case against former Minister Cho.