Police Conduct Search and Seizure at Ministry of National Defense Over Allegations of Pressure in Kim Kwan-jin Reinvestigation

It has been confirmed that the police investigating allegations that the Moon Jae-in administration pressured former Minister of National Defense Kim Kwan-jin for a reinvestigation related to the online comment manipulation incident around the 2012 presidential election recently conducted a search and seizure at the Ministry of National Defense.

Former Minister of National Defense Kim Kwan-jin Photo by Yonhap News

According to the police on the 20th, the Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency sent investigators to the Ministry of National Defense headquarters and investigation headquarters in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, the previous day to carry out the search and seizure.

A, who was an administrative officer at the Blue House National Security Office during the Moon Jae-in administration, is suspected of meeting with investigators of the military comment manipulation case in August to September 2017, bringing investigation records to the Blue House without a warrant, and pressuring the Ministry of National Defense to conduct a full reinvestigation. The "Lawyers for Human Rights and Unification of Korea" filed a complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office last August against A, former Blue House National Security Office Chief Chung Eui-yong, and one other person on charges including abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of official duties. The prosecution transferred the case to the police, who conducted a complainant investigation in September last year.

In 2014, the Ministry of National Defense Inspection Team announced that members of the Cyber Command of the Republic of Korea Army were not involved in the comment manipulation incident that interfered with public opinion around the 2012 presidential election, and that former Minister Kim was not involved. However, in September 2017, the Ministry of National Defense launched a reinvestigation amid allegations that former Minister Kim had received reports. In October last year, the Supreme Court recognized former Minister Kim's guilt for political involvement and some charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of official duties, but acquitted him of some abuse of authority charges and sent the case back to the Seoul High Court.