Prosecutors Begin Investigation of Former Supreme Court Justice Kwon Soon-il, 'Hwacheon Daeyu Advisor'...Complainant Interviewed

Kwon Soon-il, Chairman of the Central Election Commission, is entering the meeting room on the 13th at the Central Election Commission in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, to attend the plenary committee meeting discussing the approval of proportional party names. / Gwacheon = Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The prosecution has questioned the accuser in the case involving former Supreme Court Justice Kwon Soon-il, who was accused of serving as an advisor to Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management (Hwacheon Daeyu), which is suspected of receiving preferential treatment in the Daejang-dong development project in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. This appears to be the first step toward a full-scale investigation.

According to the legal community on the 27th, the Economic Crime Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Yoo Kyung-pil) summoned Go Young-il, vice chairman of the People’s Revolutionary Party, as the accuser for questioning on the morning of the 27th.

The Lawyers for Human Rights and Unification of Korea (Hanbyun), the People’s Revolutionary Party, and the Clean Election Citizens' Action reported former Supreme Court Justice Kwon to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the 23rd for violations of the Attorney-at-Law Act, the Public Officials Ethics Act, and bribery after the fact. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office transferred the case to the Central District Prosecutors' Office for direct investigation.

It is known that former Justice Kwon retired from the Supreme Court in September last year and took on the role of advisor to Hwacheon Daeyu without registering as a lawyer, receiving a monthly salary of 15 million won, which has sparked controversy.

Under the current Attorney-at-Law Act, it is illegal for a lawyer who is not registered with the Korean Bar Association to provide legal consultations or take on cases.

Before his retirement, in July last year, former Justice Kwon was part of the majority opinion in the Supreme Court’s full bench that overturned and remanded the case of Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung’s violation of the Public Official Election Act, acquitting him. There are suspicions that he was appointed as an advisor to Hwacheon Daeyu, which is connected to Lee’s side, as a reward.

Meanwhile, the People’s Revolutionary Party also filed complaints with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the same day against former special prosecutor Park Young-soo, lawmaker Kwak Sang-do, and former Future Korea Party leader Won Yoo-chul.

They claimed that Park’s daughter and Kwak’s son were employed at Hwacheon Daeyu, and that Kwak’s son received 5 billion won as severance pay and other payments, which they argue constitutes bribery. They also stated that former leader Won’s tenure as an advisor to Hwacheon Daeyu constitutes bribery after the fact.