[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The prosecution has brought charges against senior officials from the Park Geun-hye administration's Blue House and the former ruling party for obstructing the investigation by the April 16 Sewol Ferry Disaster Special Investigation Committee (Special Committee).
The Sewol Ferry Disaster Special Investigation Unit (Head Im Kwan-hyuk, Seoul High Prosecutors' Office prosecutor) on the 28th indicted nine individuals, including former Blue House Chief of Staff Lee Byung-gi (73), former Policy Coordination Chief Hyun Jeong-taek (71), and former Political Affairs Chief Hyun Ki-hwan (61), without detention on charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of rights.
Former Economic Chief Ahn Jong-beom, former Personnel Chief Jung Jin-chul, former Director of the Ministry of Personnel Innovation Lee Geun-myeon, former Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kim Young-seok, former Deputy Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Yoon Hak-bae, and former Special Committee Vice Chairman Cho Dae-hwan were also included in this indictment.
This day marked the 200th day since the Special Unit's launch, and this is the second round of indictments.
The Special Unit, launched on November 11 last year, on its 100th day on February 18, indicted 11 members of the Coast Guard leadership, including former Coast Guard Commissioner Kim Seok-gyun (55), without detention for responsibility over rescue failures.
Former Chief Lee and others are accused of halting the appointment process of the Special Committee's Truth-finding Director, which was pending Prime Minister's approval, through the Ministry of Personnel Innovation in response to the Blue House's resolution on the investigation of Blue House activities in November 2015.
During this process, they failed to dispatch all 12 civil servants who were additionally needed and did not dispatch 17 civil servants from 10 ministries, thereby obstructing the Special Committee's investigative authority.
Former Chief Lee is also charged with forcibly ending the Special Committee's activities by completely halting discussions on extending the committee's activity period, recalling dispatched civil servants, and withholding budget execution.
Former Chief Lee and others are also accused of drafting and reporting a document on a 'Vice Chairman replacement plan,' which included having a Blue House Maritime Secretary's Office administrator consider the dismissal of former Special Committee Vice Chairman Lee Heon after he refused to resign.
In fact, former Political Affairs Chief Hyun Ki-hwan offered the position of Chairman of the Korea Legal Aid Corporation to former Vice Chairman Lee, who expressed his intention to resign around February 2016 and subsequently took office as chairman in May of the same year.
Notably, former Vice Chairman Cho is accused of obstructing the preparation for the establishment of the Special Committee in January 2015 by reorganizing the Special Committee Preparatory Group around the vice chairman and recalling dispatched civil servants from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries along with former Minister Kim.
Regarding this, former Minister Kim was already found guilty in the first trial held at the Seoul Eastern District Court. The appeal trial is currently underway.
Meanwhile, the prosecution did not indict former President Park Geun-hye as they could not find evidence that she was involved in or directed the obstruction of the Special Committee's investigation.
A prosecution official stated, "Considering the positions and circumstances of the indicted individuals, it is possible to speculate that former President Park was informed and involved, but due to lack of clear evidence, she was not indicted. Currently, it is difficult to verify as former President Park is not cooperating with any investigation regarding this matter."
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