[2023 National Audit] Ministry of Justice: "No 'Yoon Investigation Cover-up' Found Following Kim Osu's Directive"

The Ministry of Justice announced on the 11th that the prosecution investigation team at the time confirmed that the allegations of President Yoon Seok-yeol's 'Busan Savings Bank investigation cover-up' that surfaced ahead of last year's presidential election were unfounded.

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon is responding at the Legislation and Judiciary Committee's audit held at the National Assembly on the 11th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

On the same day, at the Ministry of Justice's National Assembly inspection by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon responded to the question from Jeong Jeom-sik, a member of the People Power Party, asking, "Have you checked how former Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo investigated the substance of the allegations?" by saying, "An investigation was conducted, but it was confirmed that such facts do not exist."

Prosecutor General Shin Ja-yong also explained, "Former Prosecutor General Kim ordered the investigation team handling the Daejang-dong case at the time to investigate the matter, and the investigation team carried out the order accordingly, but there was no confirmation at all that Jo Woo-hyung was subject to a negligent investigation."

The allegation of a negligent investigation into Busan Savings Bank was raised through the media in early October 2021, ahead of the presidential election. In response, the Democratic Party claimed that "the negligent investigation by President Yoon, who was the head of the Central Investigation Division 2 at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, led to the seed money for the Daejang-dong case."

Former Prosecutor General Kim, during the National Assembly inspection on October 18, 2021, responded to the allegation raised by Song Ki-heon of the Democratic Party by saying, "I will review the related records and ensure a thorough investigation. I have instructed that all allegations raised by the media be included within the scope of the investigation."

According to the Ministry of Justice, the investigation team at the time, under former Prosecutor General Kim's instructions, later verified the facts but confirmed that there was no substance to the allegations.

Currently, the prosecution is investigating the circumstances under which the allegations, such as the 'Kim Man-bae and Shin Hak-rim interview' and 'Yoon Seok-yeol coffee,' were repeatedly reported just before last year's presidential election.

Regarding this, Assemblyman Jeong pointed out, "At the time, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office investigation team, the head of the Central District Prosecutors' Office, the Prosecutor General, and the Minister of Justice line must have known that the case claimed by so-called Shin Hak-rim was false," accusing them of tacit approval. Minister Han responded, "The prosecution will also thoroughly examine that part."