Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Reviews Reorganization of Investigation Team for Allegations Involving Yoon Seok-yeol Family

Seong-yoon Lee, Chief Prosecutor of the Central District Prosecutors' Office / Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Jo] On the 21st, it was reported that the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office is considering expanding and reorganizing the investigation team related to allegations involving Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's family and close associates. This is interpreted as a measure to expedite the investigation of the case.

According to legal circles on the 21st, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office is reportedly contemplating various options, including increasing the number of prosecutors handling cases related to Prosecutor General Yoon and creating a separate team for the investigation. This move aligns with the directive from Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae. Earlier, on the 19th, Minister Choo instructed, "Despite multiple complaints and accusations against Prosecutor General Yoon's family, no thorough fact-finding has been conducted for a long time," and ordered, "Exclude Prosecutor General Yoon from the command line and strengthen the related investigation team at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office."

Currently, cases involving Prosecutor General Yoon's family and close associates are divided among several departments within the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. The Criminal Division 6 is investigating allegations that Yoon's wife was involved in stock price manipulation related to Deutsche Motors and preferential stock trading in Deutsche Financial, as well as allegations that Yoon's mother-in-law evaded investigation related to the illegal establishment of a medical institution.

The Criminal Division 13 is handling allegations that Yoon Woo-jin, the elder brother of Yoon Dae-jin, Deputy Director of the Judicial Research and Training Institute and considered a close associate of Prosecutor General Yoon, was involved in covering up a bribery case at the Yongsan Tax Office. However, the case in which Yoon's wife’s exhibition planning company, 'Kobana Contents,' was accused of receiving money and goods under the name of sponsorship from companies under investigation has not yet been assigned to an investigative department.