Some cases' statute of limitations expire late this month, investigation team focuses on finding charges... Likely to affect political sphere moves
[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] With the resignation of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, there is a possibility that the investigation into Yoon’s relatives will accelerate. Last year, former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae exercised her authority to direct investigations on certain matters, and Minister Park Beom-gye also stated, "I will supervise and direct to ensure a swift investigation." These cases could significantly impact Yoon’s future political career, drawing attention to the direction of the investigations.
According to the legal community on the 5th, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office is currently conducting four investigations related to Yoon’s relatives. Among the six cases on which former Minister Choo exercised her investigative authority last year, the two cases involving the Lime scandal’s "prosecutor’s drinking party" and the Channel A reporter’s "media collusion" were excluded, leaving those involving Yoon’s wife and mother-in-law.
Among these, the statute of limitations for the indictment in the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation suspicion case involving Yoon’s wife, Kim Geon-hee, expires at the end of this month. This case began last April when Choi Kang-wook, leader of the Open Democratic Party, accused Kim of being involved in stock manipulation by entrusting a bankbook containing 1 billion won to Lee, who was identified as the executor of the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation in 2012.
This case was assigned to the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office after former Minister Choo exercised her authority to prevent Yoon from interfering. Although the investigation initially seemed to gain momentum after receiving relevant data from the Korea Exchange, no results have yet been produced.
The Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2 is also handling allegations that when Kim held exhibitions at Kobana Contents, the number of sponsoring companies increased and large sums of money were received after Yoon, then the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, was nominated as a candidate for Prosecutor General. This case is also under investigation by a dedicated team following former Minister Choo’s directive, but specific charges have not been confirmed.
Yoon’s mother-in-law, Choi, is currently on trial for allegations of involvement in the illegal establishment and operation of nursing hospitals. The prosecution filed charges at the Uijeongbu District Court, which has jurisdiction over Choi’s residence and related cases. The prosecution alleges that Choi conspired with Joo and Koo to establish a medical foundation and nursing hospitals between 2012 and 2013 without proper qualifications and embezzled approximately 2.29 billion won in nursing care benefits from May 2013 to May 2015.
Regarding allegations of Choi’s coercion of business rights related to a memorial park, the prosecution has requested supplementary investigations from the police. Although the police had already sent the case to the prosecution with a non-prosecution opinion, the prosecution demanded further investigation. This case began when Noh filed a complaint with the National Police Agency in January last year, alleging that Kim, known as an associate of Choi, forcibly took over the management rights of the memorial park in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province.
The bribery cover-up suspicion case involving former Yongsan Tax Office chief Yoon Woo-jin, who is known to be close to Prosecutor General Yoon, is currently undergoing account tracking and witness interviews. This is one of the cases showing some progress, with searches conducted at the Central Regional Tax Office and Yeongdeungpo Tax Office in October and November last year to find evidence of wrongdoing.
In the legal community, it is expected that significant changes will occur in the investigations following Prosecutor General Yoon’s resignation. Lee Sung-yoon, head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, who oversees the investigations into Yoon’s relatives, is known for his pro-government stance and has had long-standing conflicts with Yoon, which could increase pressure. It is also reported that Lee ordered a reinvestigation of the memorial park case involving Yoon’s mother-in-law, Choi.
A variable is the appointment of the next Prosecutor General. Lee is strongly mentioned as Yoon’s successor, and the Ministry of Justice may hasten the recommendation of a new candidate to minimize the vacancy period, so it is widely analyzed that it is unlikely they will push forward recklessly at this point.
However, these cases are likely to influence Yoon’s future political activities. A figure from the opposition with a prosecution background said, "Some cases are approaching the statute of limitations, and some have already been brought to trial, so results are expected soon. But since he is now being mentioned as a politician, related suspicions will continue to follow him regardless of the investigation outcomes."
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