(From left) Kim Jin-wook, Chief of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Department (Gong-su-cheo), and Lee Sung-yoon, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.
[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (HOCI) is stirring controversy by engaging in actions that raise doubts about its political neutrality even before starting its first investigation.
The prosecution, which has been in conflict with HOCI over the transfer of cases related to the 'Kim Hak-eui illegal deportation,' is reportedly planning to indict Lee Seong-yoon, the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, who is suspected of exerting 'investigation pressure' on Lee Gwang-cheol, the Blue House Civil Affairs Secretary involved in the emergency travel ban on former Vice Minister Kim, and Prosecutor Lee Gyu-won.
On the 15th, it was revealed that Kim, a secretary (Grade 5) who drove Director Kim's official car during the 'emperor escort' of Prosecutor Lee on the 7th of last month, was specially recruited upon the recommendation of former Korean Bar Association President Lee Chan-hee.
Kim, who passed the bar exam in April last year and was specially recruited as the secretary to the HOCI director in January this year, is a junior alumnus of Hanyang University Law School, like former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae. Kim's father is also a junior alumnus of Hanyang University Law School and a classmate from the 14th Judicial Research and Training Institute, and he applied for nomination to the Democratic Party in the June 13, 2018 local elections, when former Minister Choo exercised nomination rights.
When it became known that former Bar Association President Lee, who recommended Director Kim as the inaugural HOCI director and was involved in appointing Deputy Director Yeo Woon-guk, also recommended the director's secretary, some in the legal community sarcastically remarked, "Former President Lee has essentially built the entire HOCI."
In response, HOCI acknowledged that Kim was specially recruited based on the Korean Bar Association's recommendation but stated that it is customary not to publicly recruit special secretaries, so there is no issue. However, the fact that former President Lee, who participated in recommending Director Kim as the final candidate last December excluding opposition party members from the HOCI director candidate recommendation committee, also recommended the director's secretary, does not appear to be a fair appointment. Former President Lee is currently serving as an advisory member of HOCI.
Director Kim expressed discomfort when asked about this by reporters on his way to work that morning, saying, "It seems that a life lived with special favors makes everything appear as special favors."
Meanwhile, after the 'emperor investigation' of Prosecutor Lee, HOCI, which caused controversy by re-transferring the cases of Prosecutor Lee and Prosecutor Lee to the prosecution with a 'conditional transfer' stating that 'the prosecution rights will be exercised by HOCI,' received the case regarding Prosecutor Lee's alleged false preparation and media leak of the 'Yoon Joong-chun meeting report' from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the 17th of last month. However, it has neither decided whether to re-transfer the case to the prosecution nor to investigate it directly, even after nearly a month, earning the stigma of being a 'case obstruction agency.'
The day before, at HOCI, when reporters asked Director Kim whether they would investigate directly, he replied, "Under investigation," leading to reports that HOCI had initiated a direct investigation. Later, the spokesperson clarified that they were "still reviewing the records" and that "Director Kim's response was a statement considering the broad concept of investigation," causing a minor confusion.
Director Kim is currently facing multiple criminal complaints over allegations such as the 'emperor investigation' of Prosecutor Lee. Prosecutor Lee has consistently maintained his position of 'willingness to be investigated by HOCI' even before the case was re-transferred to the prosecution, fueling controversy over HOCI's political neutrality.
Kim Han-gyu, former president of the Seoul Bar Association, said, "Due to the 'emperor investigation' of Prosecutor Lee and the unfounded claim of 'discretionary transfer,' serious doubts have been raised about HOCI's neutrality and fairness," adding, "At this point, it seems the best choice for HOCI is to completely withdraw from the Kim Hak-eui emergency deportation case."
Meanwhile, the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office 'Kim Hak-eui Deportation Case Investigation Team' is reportedly planning to indict Prosecutor Lee without detention, as he continues to refuse summons. However, since the next Prosecutor General appointment is underway and Prosecutor Lee is among the candidates, the timing of the indictment remains flexible.
Additionally, the prosecution recently notified a summons to Lee, a secretary who was a senior administrative officer at the Blue House during the illegal deportation of former Vice Minister Kim in March 2019. It is believed that Lee directed the overall case by communicating multiple times with Prosecutor Lee, receiving deportation request documents in real-time on his mobile phone, and connecting Prosecutor Lee with Cha Gyu-geun, head of the Ministry of Justice's Immigration and Foreign Policy Headquarters.
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