Attention on Summoning Former Secretary Chae Hee-bong... Investigation Likely to Accelerate Ahead of Trial for Official Involved in 'Data Deletion'
[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] The investigation into allegations of manipulation in the economic feasibility assessment of Wolseong Unit 1 nuclear power plant has reached a new turning point. In the first half of 2021, the prosecution personnel retained the leadership and key investigators, allowing the investigation to maintain its momentum. The question of whether to summon the so-called Blue House 'upper echelon' is also expected to become clear soon.
According to the legal community on the 23rd, the Criminal Division 5 of Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office, which is in charge of the Wolseong nuclear power plant investigation, is expected to soon decide on the investigation method and schedule for high-ranking officials including former Industrial Policy Secretary Chae Hee-bong.
Former Secretary Chae is the person who conveyed the policy of 'early shutdown of Wolseong Unit 1' to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Initially, both inside and outside the prosecution anticipated a scenario where former Minister of Industry Baek Woon-gyu would be detained first, followed by the summons of former Social Affairs Secretary Kim Soo-hyun, who led the nuclear phase-out policy, along with former Secretary Chae.
However, after the detention warrant for former Minister Baek was dismissed, the ruling party's intense criticism of the investigation as 'excessive' continued, and combined with mid-level prosecution personnel reshuffling, the investigation pace was adjusted. It is known that around the Lunar New Year holiday, the investigation team reviewed the legal grounds and reinforced evidence regarding former Minister Baek's charges, as well as reconsidered the overall direction of the investigation.
The most concerning variable has disappeared. In the personnel reshuffle carried out the day before, Lee Sang-hyun, head of Criminal Division 5 at Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office, who was expected to be transferred, was retained. Although Lee was subject to personnel changes after completing the mandatory one-year assignment period, Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye partially accepted Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's request to retain key investigation teams.
Accordingly, the investigation team is expected to accelerate the investigation toward the Blue House upper echelon. A representative example is summoning former Secretary Chae to directly investigate whether there were instructions from the Blue House. Currently, the prosecution is known to have secured testimony from Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy nuclear policy official A, stating that former Secretary Chae requested this in writing in 2018, and that an administrative officer dispatched from the Ministry to the Blue House gave the same instructions.
Moreover, as the first trial for three Ministry officials indicted for involvement in the deletion of Wolseong nuclear power plant data is scheduled for early next month, the investigation team must prove the circumstances of consultations between the Blue House and the Ministry before then. The indictment against the three officials includes charges of damage to official electronic records, violation of the Board of Audit and Inspection Act, and unauthorized entry into a computer system, and specifically details the relationship between the Blue House and the Ministry.
In the legal community, there is also speculation that all key figures may be investigated before Prosecutor General Yoon's term ends in July. After Yoon's retirement, internal support within the prosecution will effectively disappear, and the leadership that retained their positions in the first half personnel reshuffle is likely to be replaced. The prosecution stated, "We cannot confirm ongoing investigation matters at this time."
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