The prosecution is expanding its investigation, suspecting that the same 'behind-the-scenes forces' may have been involved in the reports related to the Daejang-dong scandal that occurred ahead of the last presidential election.
The prosecution appears to be considering the possibility that the suspicions surrounding the 'false interviews of Shin Hak-rim and Kim Man-bae,' the reversal of statements by private contractor Nam Wook regarding the 'Daejang-dong person,' and reports of President Yoon Seok-yeol's alleged interference in the investigation were all coordinated efforts by Kim Man-bae and certain forces to prevent the spread of allegations against Lee Jae-myung, then the presidential candidate and leader of the Democratic Party of Korea.
Lawyer Nam Wook is attending the first trial sentencing hearing related to the Daejang-dong development bribery charges held on the afternoon of February 8 at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@
A Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office official pointed out on the 19th that Nam's reversal of his statement about who 'Cheonhwa-dongin No. 1 person' was during an interview with the media in October 2021 is "likely related to the interview content involving Kim Man-bae and Shin Hak-rim on September 15 of the same year."
He added, "Overall, after the Daejang-dong allegations were reported on August 31 of that year, it seems that a series of actions to block the Daejang-dong scandal were continuously carried out among private contractors and related behind-the-scenes forces," and stated, "We are conducting necessary investigations into those circumstances."
Nam, who was staying in the United States, said in a video interview with JTBC on October 12, 2021, "Only the parties involved probably know who that person is, whether it's Yoo Dong-gyu or someone else." When asked whether Kim Man-bae could have referred to Yoo Dong-gyu as 'that person,' he replied, "I don't recall that." This response suggested the possibility of a third party being the real owner, fueling suspicions that 'that person' might be Lee Jae-myung.
However, in a second interview conducted four days later after returning to Korea, Nam suddenly changed his stance, stating that 'that person' was not Lee Jae-myung. Nam claimed, "As far as I remember, this has nothing to do with Governor Lee Jae-myung and what I know about the place," arguing that Lee had rather taken away the business rights.
The prosecution believes that immediately after the first interview, Kim called Nam and pressured him to reverse his position, saying, "Now we and Lee Jae-myung are on the same boat. If Lee survives, we survive."
Nam's second interview content also aligns with the earlier interview Kim had with Shin. At that time, Kim denied Lee's involvement in the Daejang-dong project and even criticized Lee using terms like 'Communist Party.'
Since February 21 of last year, when the presidential election was imminent, reports have surfaced alleging that President Yoon Seok-yeol interfered in the case of broker Jo Woo-hyung related to Daejang-dong loans during the 2011 Busan Savings Bank investigation. The prosecution is also examining the possibility that the same behind-the-scenes forces were active during this process.
The prosecution suspects that figures within the Democratic Party, including lawmaker Kim Byung-wook, who are part of the party's 'Special Committee for the Truth Investigation of Yoon Seok-yeol's Concealment of Investigation and the 5 Billion Club' (formerly the Hwacheon Daeyu Construction Corruption Truth Investigation Special Committee), may have been involved in the reporting process by JTBC reporter Bong Ji-wook on 'Yoon Seok-yeol's Coffee' and Report Act reporter Heo Jae-hyun on the 'Choi Jae-kyung recording.'
When asked whether Heo's report and Shin Hak-rim's interview might have been conducted with the same intent, a prosecution official responded, "We have confirmed circumstances that require investigation regarding the sequence of reports and are conducting an investigation."
He added, "We will comprehensively verify the allegations raised about the reporting process, conspiracy charges, and the behind-the-scenes forces," and said, "There can be personal reasons, organizational reasons, or all possibilities for false reporting, so we are keeping all options open in the investigation."
He also stated, "This investigation is not simply about false reporting, but about confirming that despite verifying the allegations were false, the reporting materials were distorted and manipulated, which led to the initiation of the investigation."
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