Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo Worked as Legal Advisor for Seongnam City Before Appointment... "Unrelated to Daejang-dong Case"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] It has been confirmed that Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo worked as a legal advisor in Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province for about five months before his appointment as Prosecutor General.

According to the legal community and Seongnam City on the 15th, Prosecutor General Kim served as a legal advisor from December 1 of last year to May 7 of this year. He signed a two-year contract recommended by the local bar association but resigned upon being nominated as Prosecutor General.

Currently, there are a total of 12 legal advisors in Seongnam City who provide 4 to 5 legal consultations per month and receive a monthly allowance of 300,000 KRW.

It is reported that Prosecutor General Kim separately contracted with Seongnam City last December regarding a lawsuit related to the construction of the Jungang Public Market and received an advance payment of 13.08 million KRW. This lawsuit was later handled by the law firm Hwahyeon, where Kim served as a legal advisor.

Kim’s background has been criticized alongside the prosecution’s inadequate investigation into the Daejang-dong scandal. It is alleged that due to his relationship with Seongnam City built while working as a legal advisor, he has been leading the investigation into the Daejang-dong scandal insufficiently. Some have also raised suspicions that he might be involved in the development privilege and lobbying allegations related to Daejang-dong.

In response, Kim issued a statement through the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the same day, saying, "I have no connection whatsoever with the Daejang-dong case, and I have already directed the Central Investigation Division Chief to conduct a swift and thorough investigation regardless of political affiliation or status."

He acknowledged, "After completing public service and while working as a lawyer affiliated with a law firm, I was appointed as a legal advisor to Seongnam City, where I had lived for over 10 years, as part of regional service." He also explained, "At that time, 15 legal advisors were appointed in Seongnam City, and the monthly advisory fee of 300,000 KRW was fully deposited into the law firm's account and accounted for. The lawsuit regarding the city’s construction payment was undertaken and handled by the law firm."