'Yoo Dong-gyu Call' Park Kwan-cheon "Did Not Talk About Daejang-dong"

Yoo Dong-gyu, former Planning Director of Seongnam Urban Development Corporation [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Park Gwancheon, former Blue House administrative officer who was identified as having spoken with former Seongnam Urban Development Corporation Planning Director Yoo Dong-gyu during the early investigation of the Daejang-dong development project preferential treatment allegations, stated that "there was no discussion related to the Daejang-dong allegations."

In a statement distributed to the press on the 3rd, former administrative officer Park said, "A classmate acquaintance asked me to call because they needed advice, so I had several phone calls with former Director Yoo," but added, "The conversations were about civil and criminal procedures regarding defamation on the media and social media, and not even the letter 'D' related to Daejang-dong was mentioned at all." He further stated, "I have officially filed a complaint with the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Division regarding illegal acts of leaking official secrets and damaging honor by investigative agencies leaking information to some media outlets."

Earlier, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office special investigation team (led by Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Tae-hoon) reportedly confirmed through analysis of former Director Yoo's mobile phone that he had phone calls with former administrative officer Park and former Blue House Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Choi Jae-kyung. This mobile phone was activated by former Director Yoo in mid-September last year, and when the prosecution conducted a search and seizure on the 29th of the same month, he attempted to conceal it by throwing it out of the window of a 9th-floor officetel. The police first secured this mobile phone, conducted forensic analysis, and then shared the contents with the prosecution.