Hanbyun Files Criminal Complaint Against Former Supreme Court Justice Kwon Soon-il, 'Hwacheondaeyu Advisor'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Kwon Soon-il, a former Supreme Court justice who served as an advisor at Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management, a related company involved in the 'Daejang-dong development preferential treatment suspicion,' has been reported to the prosecution.

The Lawyers for Human Rights and Unification of Korea (Hanbyun), the National Revolutionary Party, and the Clean Election Citizens' Action reported former Justice Kwon to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the 23rd.

Hanbyun and others stated, "Former Justice Kwon cast the deciding vote for acquittal in the public official election law violation case of Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung and, after retirement, was employed as an advisor at Hwacheon Daeyu, reportedly receiving about 200 million KRW annually in advisory fees," and reported him on charges including bribery after the fact.

Hwacheon Daeyu is a company that participated in the Daejang-dong public development project while Lee served as mayor of Seongnam. The company invested 50 million KRW in the special purpose company (SPC) 'Seongnam Utddeul' for the Daejang-dong development and received dividends of 57.7 billion KRW over three years, raising suspicions of preferential treatment.

Former Justice Kwon reportedly received a monthly advisory fee of 15 million KRW while working as an advisor for Hwacheon Daeyu, causing controversy. At the time when the Supreme Court's full bench overturned and remanded Governor Lee's public official election law violation case with a verdict of not guilty, Kwon was a sitting justice and expressed an opinion for acquittal.

Hanbyun and others also pointed out that there is suspicion that former Justice Kwon provided legal advice to Hwacheon Daeyu without registering as a lawyer, indicating a possible violation of the Attorney-at-Law Act.

If former Justice Kwon, who is qualified as a lawyer, provided legal consultation without registering as a lawyer, it could be considered a violation of the Attorney-at-Law Act. Former Justice Kwon did not register as a lawyer with the Korean Bar Association.