Norman Seok Appears at National Assembly Audit of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office
Says "No Progress" on Allegations Against Yoon and His Wife
On Lee's Alleged Gangster Ties: "No Such Consideration"
Norman Seok, Acting Prosecutor General, stated on the 27th regarding the investigation into the "alleged external pressure on customs drug investigations" led by Im Eunjeong, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, "I have received reports that the investigation is making significant progress toward uncovering the truth."
During the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee's audit of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on this day, Seok responded to a question from Shin Dongwook, a member of the People Power Party, about the progress of the investigation, saying, "I believe that the investigation will soon yield results that the public can accept."
When asked whether there had been any developments regarding the initial allegations that former President Yoon Sukyeol and his wife raised funds for an insurrection, Seok replied, "There have been no developments."
Norman Seok, Acting Prosecutor General, is reporting at the 2025 National Audit held on the 27th at the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyunmin
During the audit, a recording was also released in which Police Superintendent Baek Haeryong, who was dispatched to the investigation team, was heard saying in a past phone call with Seok, "The person who covered up the drug gate and was promoted is Prosecutor Yoon Gukkwon, the head of the joint investigation team. That is why I referred to the drug crime division as a criminal organization."
Regarding this, when asked, "Can you not say anything in response to your subordinate being described as a criminal?" Seok replied, "What would be the point of fighting with the police? I just wanted to hear what they were thinking."
Superintendent Baek was originally in charge of the investigation at Yeongdeungpo Police Station and was the one who exposed the alleged external pressure on the investigation. He expressed dissatisfaction with the prosecution's joint investigation team, which has been investigating the allegations, saying, "The prosecution, which is the criminal, is conducting a 'self-investigation.'" Recently, he was dispatched to the team by order of President Lee Jaemyung.
On this day, Baek also expressed his dissatisfaction, saying, "(Since being dispatched to the investigation team) the Criminal Justice Information System (KICS) has not been installed, so I cannot handle any cases," and "A folding bed is an essential item for police officers."
Regarding the reason for his phone call to Seok, Baek explained, "During the process of establishing the joint investigation team, many of the investigation subjects were included. Customs officials were also involved, and I suspected that there was an intention to downplay and conceal the case in order to destroy evidence. Although it was against protocol, I called out of urgency and desperation."
During the audit, there was also a dispute over the authenticity of a document analyzed by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Forensic Analysis Division, related to the "alleged gang ties" of then-candidate Lee Jaemyung during his tenure as Mayor of Seongnam in the 2022 20th presidential election.
The suspicion is that, during the forensic analysis of a letter cited as evidence for the alleged gang ties involving President Lee, the opinion of the analyst in charge-that the letter had been fabricated-was ignored.
The analyst, who reported this suspicion to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission as a public interest disclosure, appeared as a witness and claimed, "After completing the forensic report, I submitted it for approval, but the approval was repeatedly delayed on the grounds that 'there are differing opinions and it needs further review.'" When asked whether he believed there was a connection to the presidential election, he replied, "Yes."
On the other hand, Yoon Youngmi, head of the Document Analysis Office and the analyst's supervisor, refuted, "The notification of forensic results is determined at the discretion of the analyst according to their own schedule, so it is completely inaccurate to claim that a senior analyst delayed or interfered."
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