Prosecutors Accelerate Investigation into Moon Jae-in Government Personnel... Former Minister Baek's Summons Imminent

Likely to Accelerate After Regular Personnel Changes Next Month

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] As the prosecution conducted a search and seizure of the office and residence of former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Baek Woon-gyu, who was pointed out as the upper echelon in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy blacklist suspicion, there is a prospect that former Minister Baek will be summoned for investigation around the end of this month.

According to the prosecution on the 20th, the Criminal Division 6 of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Choi Hyung-won) conducted a search and seizure of former Minister Baek's office at Hanyang University in Seoul and his residence in Gangnam-gu yesterday morning. The prosecution plans to analyze the materials secured through the search and seizure and summon former Minister Baek, who was identified as the final person responsible, for investigation.

Former Minister Baek met with reporters in front of his office at the Hanyang University Fusion Tech Center in Seoul and responded to the question, "Did you act under the instructions of the Moon Jae-in administration?" by saying, "I did not act under instructions," and added, "I handled the work in compliance with laws and regulations."

Regarding the contents of the prosecution's search and seizure, he explained, "They took things they thought were related to me, such as emails." About the four people who have completed their summons investigation, he said, "I feel sorry." On the same day, the prosecution also conducted search and seizure operations on six public institutions under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, including the Korea Petroleum Management Service and Korea Coal Corporation. It is reported that the prosecution focused on securing personnel-related materials.

The prosecution has already summoned and investigated four of the five key figures in this case, including former Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee In-ho.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy blacklist suspicion arose when the Liberty Korea Party (now the People Power Party) filed a complaint with the prosecution in January 2019 against former Minister Baek and former Deputy Minister Lee on charges of abuse of power. The Liberty Korea Party claimed that the presidents of four public institutions under the Ministry and four subsidiaries of Korea Electric Power Corporation resigned under pressure from the Minister and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office has been continuing investigations after conducting search and seizure operations on the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and eight affiliated public institutions on March 25 and 28.

Meanwhile, there is also a prospect that the investigation will accelerate as the regular personnel reshuffle is completed next month. Additionally, with a large number of prosecutors from the Yoon Seok-yeol faction being assigned to leadership positions in major prosecutors' offices, it is expected that the previously stalled investigation will be fully activated.