Prosecutors Raid Office of Former Supreme Court Justice Kwon Soon-il Over '5 Billion Won Club' Allegations

Search Warrant Includes 'Allegation of Violation of the Attorney-at-Law Act'

The prosecution has launched a forced investigation into former Supreme Court Justice Kwon Soon-il in connection with the 'Daejang-dong 5 Billion Club' allegations. Following former special prosecutor Park Young-soo and former lawmaker Kwak Sang-do, the prosecution appears to have begun a full-scale investigation targeting former Justice Kwon.

Former Supreme Court Justice Kwon Soon-il. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

The Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 3 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Yong-sik) is conducting a search and seizure of former Justice Kwon's office on the 21st on charges of violating the Attorney-at-Law Act.

The 5 Billion Club refers to individuals whom Kim Man-bae, a private developer of Daejang-dong, promised to share the profits from Daejang-dong. The names listed in the 5 Billion Club include former Justice Kwon, former special prosecutor Park, former lawmaker Kwak, former Prosecutor General Kim Soo-nam, former Blue House Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Choi Jae-kyung, and journalist Hong Mo, among others.

Former Justice Kwon is suspected of acting as an advisor to Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management, where Kim is the major shareholder, without registering as a lawyer with the Korean Bar Association. It is known that former Justice Kwon received a total of 150 million won in advisory fees during his tenure.

Additionally, former Justice Kwon is also suspected of judicial trading, accused of taking the advisory position at Hwacheon Daeyu as a reward for expressing a not guilty opinion in July 2020 at the Supreme Court's full bench regarding the public official election law violation case of Lee Jae-myung, then governor of Gyeonggi Province and current leader of the Democratic Party of Korea.