Prosecution Detects Opposition Figure Involvement in Report on 'Busan Savings Bank Cover-up Suspicion'

"I will organize everything and try to create it once for candidate (Lee Jae-myung)"

Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who is under suspicion of preferential treatment in the development of Daejang-dong and Wirye New Town, is attending a trial at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 6th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Evidence has emerged suggesting that opposition figures (then ruling party members) were involved in the process of false reporting regarding President Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's candidate in the last presidential election, and the 'Busan Savings Bank Suma cover-up suspicion.'

According to the legal community on the 12th, reporter Heo Jae-hyun of the internet media outlet Report Act revealed a search warrant for his residence issued by the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (led by Chief Prosecutor Kang Baek-shin) through YouTube the day before.

The warrant specifically detailed how statements made by Choi, an aide to Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Byung-wook, to Lee, a cousin of 'Daejang-dong broker' Jo Woo-hyung, were distorted and reported as if they were made by Choi Jae-kyung, former head of the Central Investigation Division of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and a superior of President Yoon.

According to the warrant, Choi met Lee with lawmaker Kim on December 21, 2021. At this meeting, Lee advised that instead of focusing on the point that Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung would approach the issue by claiming that Yoon Seok-yeol, then head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Investigation Division 2 in 2011, did not properly investigate Jo, the frame should be constructed around legal corruption involving higher-ranking officials such as former Chief Prosecutor Choi, who was above Yoon, and that they followed unjust orders.

In response, lawmaker Kim reportedly said, "I will organize this neatly and try to make something for the candidate. After it is more organized. It will be a case of fighting against a huge old evil," according to the prosecution's findings.

Choi then said, "If we create a picture that the People Power Party people have been exploiting this for 10 years, it will be successful," and discussed ways to effectively criticize President Yoon in relation to the savings bank investigation, according to the prosecution's investigation results.

Choi recorded this conversation and kept it in transcript form, later handing it over to Kim, a policy research committee member of the Democratic Party in the National Assembly. Kim is understood to have passed the transcript and Lee's contact information to Bong Ji-wook, a JTBC reporter investigating the suspicion of President Yoon's cover-up.

As the presidential election day approached, Choi and Kim delivered the transcript to reporter Heo, and the prosecution believes they conspired to distort the conversation parties and the intent of the transcript to defame President Yoon.

Reporter Heo reported on the Report Act homepage on March 1 of last year, eight days before the presidential election, portraying Choi's statements as if they were made by former Chief Prosecutor Choi of the Central Investigation Division.

The parties involved have completely denied these allegations. Lawmaker Kim stated regarding the meeting of the three, "It is true that we met, but it was two years ago, so I do not clearly remember what was said at the time."

The prosecution plans to summon Choi, Kim, reporter Heo, and others as suspects for investigation once the analysis of the seized materials is completed.