[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (HCIC), which has been struggling with manpower shortages since its inception, is finalizing the additional recruitment of new prosecutors and accelerating investigations into current issues. With the first National Assembly audit scheduled for next month, attention is focused on what conclusions the HCIC will reach regarding the 'accusation solicitation' allegations.
According to the legal community on the 22nd, the HCIC, which completed interviews for new prosecutors last week, will soon hold a personnel committee meeting to recommend the final candidates.
Earlier, the HCIC announced a recruitment notice in June and shortlisted 27 candidates through document screening and interviews. The remaining process involves recommending up to twice the number of hires through the personnel committee and the president making the final appointment. This is a follow-up measure after only 13 prosecutors were hired in the first recruitment in April, which was about half of the quota (23, excluding the chief and deputy chief).
The HCIC plans to resolve its manpower shortage through additional recruitment and then speed up ongoing investigations. So far, the HCIC has only concluded the case involving Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon's unfair hiring of dismissed teachers.
It must also accelerate the investigation into the politically significant 'accusation solicitation' allegations. On the 13th, the HCIC's Investigation Division 3 completed a search and seizure at the office of Kim Woong, a member of the People Power Party, and is currently analyzing the seized materials. Earlier, on the 10th, searches were conducted at the residences and offices of Representative Kim and Son Joon-sung, former Policy Officer of Investigation Information at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office (currently Human Rights Protection Officer at Daegu High Prosecutors' Office). The HCIC has deployed a total of seven prosecutors to this case, including four from Investigation Division 3 and others from different departments.
Some speculate that Son may be summoned to verify whether he actually drafted and delivered the accusation documents. This is to confirm whether Son wrote the accusations and if there was any involvement by a third party.
There is also interest in whether an investigation will be launched into Park Ji-won, Director of the National Intelligence Service. The HCIC is reviewing a case in which the Yoon Seok-yeol campaign filed a complaint against Director Park, whistleblower Jo Seong-eun, and an unidentified individual for violations of the National Intelligence Service Act and the Public Official Election Act.
Director Park is suspected of meeting Jo before the accusation solicitation allegations were reported in the media to discuss the case. Since the HCIC registered former Prosecutor General Yoon and Son as suspects just three days after receiving the accusation solicitation complaint, there are calls for a swift decision to investigate Director Park as well.
The National Assembly audit is scheduled for the 12th of next month. This will be the first national audit since the HCIC's establishment, with HCIC Chief Kim Jin-wook and Deputy Chief Yeo Woon-guk expected to attend. There is a high possibility that the HCIC will face criticism for bias, including regarding the 'accusation solicitation' allegations. In fact, the HCIC has reportedly registered a total of 13 cases since its inception. Besides the unfair special hiring of dismissed teachers by Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon, these include allegations of false reporting and leaking of meeting reports between Prosecutor Lee Gyu-won and Yun Joong-cheon, allegations of leaking indictments by Seoul High Prosecutor Lee Seong-yoon, allegations of external pressure in the illegal deportation investigation of Kim Hak-ui, allegations of abuse of authority by prosecutors at the Haenam branch of Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office, and allegations of inadequate investigation into the Busan 'LCT' case.
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