Prosecutors Summon Former Personnel Chief Jo Hyun-ok for Investigation into 'Moon Government Blacklist Allegations'

Cho Hyun-ok, former Senior Secretary for Personnel Affairs at the Blue House.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The prosecution summoned and questioned former Senior Secretary for Personnel Affairs Cho Hyun-ok regarding the Moon Jae-in administration's 'blacklist allegations.'

The Criminal Division 6 of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Seo Hyun-wook) summoned former Secretary Cho for questioning on the morning of the 16th. It is known that the prosecution sought to confirm what role former Secretary Cho played during the early period of the Moon Jae-in administration in 2017-2018, when presidents of subsidiaries of Korea Electric Power Corporation and heads of public institutions resigned.

The investigation into the Moon Jae-in administration's blacklist allegations began when the Liberty Korea Party, the predecessor of the People Power Party, filed a complaint with the prosecution in January 2019 against former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Baek Woon-gyu and former First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry Lee In-ho.

At that time, the Liberty Korea Party claimed that in 2017, the first year of the Moon Jae-in administration, four presidents of subsidiaries of Korea Electric Power Corporation were pressured by the 'higher-ups' in the Ministry of Industry and Trade to resign before completing their terms.

Earlier this year, the prosecution conducted raids on the Ministry of Industry and its subsidiaries, and in June requested an arrest warrant for former Minister Baek, but it was dismissed due to low risk of flight or evidence tampering.

Subsequently, in October, the prosecution summoned former Personnel Innovation Officer Kim Woo-ho, who worked as Personnel Secretary under former Secretary Cho, and last month, they questioned Park Sang-hyuk, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea who served as an administrative officer in the Personnel Office during the Moon administration, accelerating the investigation into personnel affairs at the Blue House during the Moon Jae-in government.