Prosecutors Investigate Current Ministry of Industry Director for 11 Hours in 'Ministry of Industry Blacklist' Case... Speedy Investigation (Comprehensive)

First Suspect Status Investigation

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] The prosecution, investigating allegations of a blacklist within the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, is accelerating its investigation by summoning and questioning a current director of the ministry.

On the 29th, the Corporate and Labor Crime Division of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Choi Hyung-won) announced that from 9:20 a.m. to around 8:15 p.m., they conducted a suspect interrogation of Director Kim of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The intense investigation lasted approximately 11 hours.

This is the first time the prosecution has conducted a suspect interrogation targeting a senior official of the ministry since the blacklist allegations were reported.

Director Kim, currently serving at the ministry, was reportedly responsible for personnel matters within the ministry in 2017, when there were pressures for heads of affiliated organizations to resign. The prosecution is expected to investigate whether there were instructions from higher-ups, including former Minister Baek Woon-kyu.

Earlier, on the 25th of last month, the prosecution conducted raids on eight organizations under the ministry and subsequently summoned and questioned the heads of those organizations who had resigned at that time.