Special Prosecution Team Raids Supreme Prosecutors’ Office Over “Sealed Envelope” and Coupang Cases

To Secure Internal Messenger Records and Related Materials

The permanent special prosecution team led by Ahn Kwonseop, investigating the prosecution's 'alleged disposal of the sealed envelope tag,' headed to the Bank of Korea's Currency Issuance Department on the 19th of last month to execute a search and verification warrant. Photo by Yonhap News

The special prosecution team led by Ahn Kwonseop, which is investigating both the alleged external pressure to drop charges in the Coupang severance pay case and the alleged disposal of the sealed envelope tag, conducted a search and seizure at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office on January 2.

The special prosecution team announced that at 10 a.m. on this day, they began executing a search and verification warrant at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office to secure ‘internal messenger records and related materials of those involved in the sealed envelope case’ as well as ‘materials related to the Coupang case.’ However, they did not disclose the specific scope of the search and seizure.

Previously, Moon Jiseok, Chief Prosecutor at the Gwangju District Prosecutors’ Office, revealed that while he was serving as Chief Prosecutor of the Criminal Division 3 at the Bucheon Branch of the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office, then-Branch Chief Prosecutor Eom Heejun and Prosecutor Kim Donghee pressured him to drop charges and omitted key evidence during the investigation into Coupang’s unpaid severance pay for daily workers.

The Bucheon Branch had previously decided not to indict the case in April, despite the Central Regional Employment and Labor Office referring the case of unpaid severance pay for daily workers at Coupang’s logistics subsidiary, Coupang Fulfillment Services (CFS), with a recommendation for indictment.

After the case was ultimately dismissed without indictment, Chief Prosecutor Moon requested an investigation by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office into Prosecutor Eom for abuse of authority and for drafting and using false official documents. Prosecutor Eom has denied all allegations and requested the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office to launch an internal investigation into Chief Prosecutor Moon for false accusation.