The National Assembly on November 14 recommended Kyungchun Park (21st class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute), attorney at Seopyeong Law Firm, and Kwonsub Ahn (25th class), attorney at Daeryun Law Firm, as special prosecutor candidates to investigate the "Geonjin Buddhist Monk’s Banknote Band Loss Allegation" and the "Coupang Severance Pay Non-Prosecution Pressure Allegation."
The Special Prosecutor Candidate Recommendation Committee of the National Assembly announced that it had made this decision at its meeting on the same day.
Candidate Park graduated from Seoseok High School in Gwangju and the Department of Law at Yonsei University, and previously served as Chief Prosecutor at the Pyeongtaek Branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office. Candidate Ahn graduated from Wansan High School in Jeonju and the Department of Law at Yonsei University, and has served as Chief of the Public Trial Division at the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office and as Deputy Chief Prosecutor at the Chuncheon District Prosecutors’ Office.
President Lee Jaemyung must appoint one of them as the special prosecutor.
The "Banknote Band Disposal Allegation" at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office refers to a case in which suspicions of evidence destruction were raised after it was belatedly revealed that, of the 165 million won in cash bundles found during a search of former monk Jeon Seongbae’s residence in December last year, the banknote bands and stickers for 50 million won had gone missing. The "Coupang Severance Pay Non-Prosecution Pressure Allegation" involves claims that in April, Heejoon Eom, then Chief Prosecutor of the Bucheon Branch of the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office (now a prosecutor at the Gwangju High Prosecutors’ Office), omitted key details regarding Coupang’s unpaid severance pay case in his report to the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and pressured Chief Prosecutor Moon Jiseok, who was in charge of the case, not to indict.
Justice Minister Jeong Seongho stated on October 24, "We determined that an independent third party must objectively verify the facts related to these allegations and clearly establish the truth and responsibility," adding, "We have decided to initiate an investigation by the permanent special prosecutor in accordance with Article 2, Paragraph 1, Item 1 of the Act on the Appointment of Special Prosecutors, etc."
In response, National Assembly Speaker Woo Wonshik formed the candidate recommendation committee, which included Vice Minister of Justice Lee Jinsu as an ex officio member.
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