Police Conduct Search and Seizure at Green Korea United Over Alleged Leak of 4 Major Rivers Committee Recommendation List

The police have launched a forced investigation into suspicions that former Environment Minister Kim Eun-kyung was involved in the Moon Jae-in administration's decision to dismantle the four major rivers' weirs. The police conducted a search and seizure of the Green Korea United, suspected of leaking the list of recommended members of the 'Four Major Rivers Investigation and Evaluation Expert Planning Committee' (the Committee).

Former Minister of Environment Kim Eun-kyung, who is suspected of being on the Ministry of Environment blacklist, is responding to reporters' questions as she enters the courtroom to attend the pre-trial detention hearing at the Seoul Eastern District Court in Songpa-gu, Seoul on the 25th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

On the 1st, the Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced that they conducted a search and seizure of the Green Korea United office in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, and the person and belongings of Jeong Gyu-seok, the Secretary-General of Green Korea United, in the morning. However, the police explained that since Secretary-General Jeong was a witness, they did not conduct a search of his residence.

Former Minister Kim is accused of abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights by instructing a public official to deliver the confidential list of recommended members during the decision-making process to dismantle five weirs on the Geumgang and Yeongsangang Rivers and keep them permanently open under the Moon Jae-in administration's four major rivers policy. The Committee was launched in November 2018 and proposed the dismantling and permanent opening of the four major rivers' weirs to the government within three months. The Presidential Water Management Committee announced the dismantling and permanent opening of the weirs in January 2021. Green Korea United is suspected of leaking the list of recommended members received from related organizations.

In January, the Board of Audit and Inspection disclosed audit results stating that the decision was "unscientific, biased, and hasty," and referred former Minister Kim and Ministry of Environment official A, who delivered the list of recommended members of the Committee to Green Korea United, to the prosecution for leaking official secrets. Subsequently, the prosecution transferred the case to the police.