Final Stage of Evidence Analysis, Possibility of Prosecutor Son Joon-sung's Summons... Confirming the Link 'Son Joon-sung → Kim Woong → Cho Sung-eun'
[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (HCIC) is weighing the timing for summoning individuals related to the 'accusation instigation' allegations. Having largely completed the analysis of seized materials conducted over the recent Chuseok holiday, the HCIC now inevitably must summon those involved based on the analysis results.
According to the legal community on the 23rd, the HCIC's Investigation Division 3 (Chief Prosecutor Choi Seok-gyu) is finalizing the analysis of seized materials obtained through search and seizure of Kim Woong, a member of the People Power Party, and Son Joon-sung, former Policy Officer of Investigation Information at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and is beginning to shortlist individuals for summons.
Since the core of the suspicion is whether Prosecutor Son passed the accusation documents to the opposition party through Representative Kim, the likelihood of summoning Prosecutor Son is highest. The HCIC is expected to confirm through summons whether Prosecutor Son authored the accusation documents, the purpose behind drafting and delivering them, and whether there is any indication of third-party involvement.
The HCIC also focused heavily on Prosecutor Son's mobile phone during the search and seizure. It has been confirmed that additional personnel beyond the forensic and investigation teams were deployed after securing the device. Although the HCIC maintains that "specific details cannot be disclosed," it appears they concentrated on obtaining Prosecutor Son's tablet PC and mobile phone to trace the transmission route of the accusation documents and attached materials from ‘Son Joon-sung → Kim Woong → Jo Seong-eun’.
Some speculate that the HCIC will complete fact-finding this week and may summon Prosecutor Son as early as next week. If some circumstances involving those related to the case are confirmed, summoning Representative Kim, who has not yet been booked, will also become inevitable.
Within the HCIC, there is also consideration of the possibility that a third party participated in drafting the accusation documents. The search warrant issued by the court reportedly includes content stating that Prosecutor Son instructed an unidentified prosecutor affiliated with the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to draft the accusation documents and collect evidence.
However, even after completing investigations of the revealed figures such as Prosecutor Son and Representative Kim, the legal community analyzes that more evidence is required before summoning former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol. A lawyer with prosecutorial experience said, "Prosecutor Son denies both drafting the accusation documents and delivering them to Representative Kim, and forensic investigation of Son's mobile phone will inevitably take more time. It will be difficult to summon former Prosecutor General Yoon, who has no confirmed direct or indirect connection based solely on suspicion."
The HCIC is also in a difficult position to accept chatroom captures submitted by whistleblower Mr. Jo as evidence. Digital evidence is recognized only if the copy is deemed identical to the original file. It is reported that Mr. Jo deleted the Telegram chatroom containing the original conversations.
There is also interest in whether the HCIC will investigate Park Ji-won, Director of the National Intelligence Service. The HCIC is reviewing a case in which former Prosecutor General Yoon's side filed a complaint against Director Park and Mr. Jo for violations of the National Intelligence Service Act and the Public Official Election Act. Under the HCIC Act, Articles 21 (Political Involvement) and 22 (Abuse of Authority) of the National Intelligence Service Act are defined as high-ranking official crimes that the HCIC can directly investigate, but it is known that they are seeking more concrete clues regarding the criminal allegations. Currently, former Prosecutor General Yoon's side and others are voicing that since the HCIC booked former Prosecutor General Yoon and Prosecutor Son as suspects just three days after receiving the accusation instigation complaint, a swift decision on investigating Director Park is also necessary.
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