[2020 National Audit] Ruling and Opposition Parties Clash Over Responsibility of Yoon Seok-yeol and Chu Mi-ae in Lime and Optimus Investigations

On the 19th, at the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee's inspection of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office and others, Kim Jin-ae, a member of the Open Democratic Party, is questioning. / Screen capture from National Assembly Broadcasting

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] During the National Assembly audit of the prosecution offices under the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, including the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office investigating the Optimus case and the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office investigating the Lime case, ruling and opposition party lawmakers clashed by blaming the prosecution's inadequate investigations on Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol and Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae, respectively.

At the prosecution audit held on the 19th by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee at the National Assembly, regarding the two cases where all-round lobbying suspicions involving the Blue House, political circles, financial authorities, and prosecutors emerged, the ruling party pointed to the 'Yoon Seok-yeol faction,' while the opposition party pointed to 'Minister Chu Mi-ae's prosecution personnel appointments,' leading to a heated debate.

Kim Yong-min, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on the day, "Looking at why the Lime case investigation only targeted the ruling party, the shadow of Prosecutor General Yoon's mother-in-law and wife’s cases looms."

He displayed a PowerPoint (PPT) summarizing the relationship chart and pointed out, "The director of a Lime affiliate is the same person as the savings bank CEO who forged the balance certificate of the Prosecutor General’s mother-in-law, and Lee, who was involved in Deutsche Motors stock manipulation, is the vice chairman of a Lime-related company."

Additionally, Representative Kim mentioned evidence related to the so-called 'media-prosecution collusion suspicion case,' stating, "All four people selected by the Prosecutor General went to Lime."

From the same party, Representative So Byung-chul questioned, "How merciless was the investigation of the recent Cho Kuk case, which was criticized?"

Kim Jin-ae of the Open Democratic Party said, "Former Southern District Prosecutor Song Sam-hyun said that ruling party figures reported through the reporting line, while opposition figures reported directly to the Prosecutor General. This is not only petty but also despicable," showing signs of agitation.

On the other hand, Yoon Han-hong of the People Power Party argued, "When the Lime case was assigned to the Southern District Prosecutors' Office for investigation in January this year, Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae abolished the Joint Securities Crime Investigation Unit a week later," calling it an "organizationally successful lobbying."

He also asked Park Soon-cheol, the Southern District Prosecutors' Office chief who took office in August, "Was it in recognition of your achievement in investigating and indicting the Prosecutor General’s mother-in-law at the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office?"

Representative Yoon criticized, "Prosecutors who investigate well are demoted to the provinces, while those who listen well to the regime are currently seated here," adding, "I think investigations won’t proceed well because I lack ability."

He referred to the current situation where the ruling party is attacking Prosecutor General Yoon based on the recent prison statement of former Star Mobility Chairman Kim Bong-hyun, saying, "During the media-prosecution collusion suspicion case, Minister Chu exercised her authority over the investigation using a prison letter from a fraud suspect, and now, when another prison letter is leaked to the media, the Ministry of Justice responds accordingly," questioning, "Is a prison letter an investigative technique?"