Investigation into the Regime Delayed Due to Election... Prosecution Accelerates Again

The Kim Hak-ui Case Expands into 'Planned Investigation'... Ulsan Mayor, Optimus, and Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant May Accelerate Efforts

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The prosecution is accelerating investigations related to the administration. With the April 7 by-elections over, there is a high possibility that investigations, which had been postponed due to political controversies, will gain momentum. Internally, there is also a sense that before the new Prosecutor General is appointed, sensitive issues will be addressed by taking advantage of the post-election atmosphere.

According to the legal community on the 8th, the prosecution is expected to summon and investigate Lee Kwang-cheol, the Blue House Civil Affairs Secretary and a key figure, soon as the investigation into former Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Hak-ui is expanding into allegations of a 'Blue House-planned purge.'

The core issue is that the activities of the Past Affairs Investigation Team at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the recommendation for reinvestigation regarding former Deputy Minister Kim were part of a planned purge. The prosecution suspects that Secretary Lee was involved in manipulating and leaking an interview report of construction businessman Yoon Joong-chun, who provided sexual entertainment, by Prosecutor Lee Kyu-won, a member of the investigation team. During this process, the Blue House is also verifying whether it tried to highlight the Kim case to cover up the Burning Sun scandal involving former Police Superintendent Yoon Gyu-geun. It is known that Secretary Lee exchanged Telegram messages suggesting the need to emphasize the cases of former Superintendent Yoon and Kim Hak-ui.

The investigation into allegations of election interference in the Ulsan mayoral race, which has been delayed for months, is also expected to gain momentum. Last year, Ulsan Mayor Song Cheol-ho and former Blue House Civil Affairs Secretary Baek Won-woo were prosecuted, but the decision on whether to indict Lee Jin-seok, Blue House Policy Situation Chief, was delayed due to the election.

The investigation related to Optimus Asset Management is also expected to proceed with the political and financial lobbying allegations now that the financial crime aspects have been wrapped up. By last month, all four key lobbyists had been arrested and prosecuted, and recently, former Nara Bank President Yang Ho and former Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Lee Heon-jae, both members of the 'Optimus Advisory Group,' have been summoned in succession. So far, the only high-ranking official found to have received money from Optimus is former Deputy Director Yoon of the Financial Supervisory Service, so the prosecution plans to look for additional links targeting lobbyists and advisory group members.

The investigation into allegations of economic feasibility manipulation at the Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant, which former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol oversaw until the end, is also likely to enter a new phase. Although Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy employees suspected of deleting data have been prosecuted, the investigation stalled after the pre-arrest warrant for former Minister Baek Woon-gyu was dismissed and the election intervened.

In the legal community, it is believed that the results of this by-election will significantly impact the investigation teams handling administration-related cases. There is growing criticism that the previously hardline prosecution reform stance needs adjustment, and with less than a month left before the new Prosecutor General, who will align with the ruling party's code, takes office, changes are expected. An official from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Department said, "Although the investigation team will not make rash decisions due to the absence of a Prosecutor General, they may accelerate the pace of investigations in response to public opinion changes following the election and the political tendencies of the next Prosecutor General, which can be sensed."