Still Sluggish... Power Corruption Investigation Delayed by Personnel Variables

Change of Heads in 3 out of 5 Regional Prosecutors' Offices... Concerns Over Prolonged Investigations Due to Appointment of Pro-Government Chief Prosecutors

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The investigation into various power-related corruption cases, which had stalled and raised doubts about the 'prosecutor's willingness to investigate,' has encountered a new variable. Three out of five regional prosecutors' offices under the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office have welcomed new chiefs and have begun reviewing major cases again. Some are closely watching the possibility that the situation, filled with pro-government prosecutors' office chiefs, could lead to prolonged investigations.

According to the legal community on the 13th, the new chiefs of the Seoul Eastern, Southern, and Western District Prosecutors' Offices received interim reports on major cases over the past two days and discussed future investigation directions and schedules. In the three offices where the chiefs changed due to the recent high-level prosecutorial personnel reshuffle, investigations are underway into significant cases involving personnel from the current administration. These are so-called 'power-related corruption' investigations.

Kim Gwan-jeong, the newly appointed chief of the Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, who is known to have conveyed messages of 'human rights values' and 'fair handling' to staff after taking office, is expected to lead the investigation into the 'military leave non-return suspicion' involving the son of Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae.

This case lost momentum after being assigned earlier this year when then-chief prosecutor Ko Gi-young moved to the Ministry of Justice as vice minister. Summons and investigations of related military personnel have also been slow. The Eastern District Prosecutors' Office plans to complete the investigation of the related personnel first. Kim, the new chief, is classified as a representative pro-government figure. As a former head of the Criminal Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, he caused controversy by refusing, without reporting, to submit the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's opinion to the investigation review committee regarding the 'media collusion suspicion' case.

Park Soon-cheol has taken over as chief of the Southern District Prosecutors' Office, which is handling the Lime Asset Management corruption investigation. In relation to this case, the Southern District Prosecutors' Office indicted Kim Mo, a former administrative officer at the Blue House Economic Policy Secretariat, in May on charges of accepting bribes from Kim Bong-hyun, chairman of Star Mobility, and passing on information. They also appeared to accelerate the investigation by arresting Lee Sang-ho, a ruling party figure and Democratic Party's Saha-eul district committee chairman.

However, after Song Sam-hyun, the former chief of the Southern District Prosecutors' Office, suddenly announced his resignation, the investigation seems to have been left in limbo. Inside and outside the prosecution, there were talks that Song, while leading the Lime investigation and pushing forward investigations against the Blue House and ruling party, had become disliked.

Park, the new chief of the Southern District Prosecutors' Office, previously indicted Choi Mo, the mother-in-law of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, on charges including forgery of private documents during his tenure as chief of the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office. His first remarks upon appointment emphasized 'establishing an advanced financial order' and 'eradication of corrupt offenders.' Attention is focused on how Chief Park will adjust the intensity of the Lime case investigation, which is suspected to involve key figures of the administration.

The Western District Prosecutors' Office, which is investigating accounting fraud allegations against the Justice and Memory Foundation (Jeonguiyeokdae), has also been criticized for slow progress despite three months having passed since the related complaints were filed. Last week, the office drew attention by producing two of the eight prosecutors promoted to senior positions, but the summons of Yoon Mee-hyang, a Democratic Party lawmaker and former representative of Jeonguiyeokdae, has yet to occur.

Roh Jeong-yeon, the newly appointed chief of the Western District Prosecutors' Office, is expected to consider the next steps in the investigation following the previous office raid of Jeonguiyeokdae and the investigation of its accounting officer. The legal community believes that when the chief who oversees the jurisdictional investigation changes, the investigation's direction may be redefined, so some time will be needed before the investigation gains momentum.