Seo Hyunwook, Chief Prosecutor Who Led 'Ssangbangwool North Korea Remittance Case' Investigation, Resigns

Prosecuted President Lee Jaemyung While Leading Investigation in 2023
Demoted to Busan High Prosecutors' Office in August Last Year

Seo Hyunwook, a prosecutor at the Changwon branch of the Busan High Prosecutors' Office (equivalent to the position of chief prosecutor), who led the investigation into the Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance allegations, has tendered his resignation.

On the 19th, a meeting of the Deputy Prosecutor General and High Prosecutors' Office Chiefs was held at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, with flags displayed. This meeting was convened following the exercise of investigative authority by Park Beom-gye, Minister of Justice, on the 17th, to reconsider the presence of false testimony allegations and the decision to prosecute related to the political funds violation case of former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

According to the legal community on the 27th, Prosecutor Seo posted a resignation letter on the internal prosecution network, Epros, the previous day, stating, "The excitement I felt on my first day as a rookie prosecutor still lingers in my heart, but before I knew it, more than 20 years have passed," and added, "I leave behind the beautiful memories of my youth here as I depart. I am grateful and sorry."

From September 2023, Prosecutor Seo served for about two years as the head of the Criminal Division 6 at the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, leading the investigation into the Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance case. In 2024, he prosecuted then Democratic Party leader Lee Jaemyung, who is now the president, on charges including violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (bribery), violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, and violation of the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act.

Subsequently, in relation to this case, Lee Hwayeong, former Vice Governor for Peace of Gyeonggi Province, whose sentence of seven years and eight months in prison was finalized by the Supreme Court, sparked controversy by revealing that prosecutors had attempted to coax his testimony by holding a "salmon drinking party" during the investigation. The prosecution additionally indicted Lee on perjury charges.

However, the Ministry of Justice, in its own fact-finding investigation last year, stated that it had confirmed circumstances in which alcohol and food were actually provided, and ordered an inspection into the matter. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office then established a "Human Rights Violation Task Force (TF)" at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, which is currently conducting an investigation.

At the time, Prosecutor Seo issued a statement opposing the Ministry of Justice's decision to conduct an inspection. He stated, "If Lee Hwayeong's claims were true, there would be no reason for his statements about the date, location, and time of drinking, as well as whether alcohol was consumed, to keep changing," and added, "At the very least, there should be consistency in one aspect, but every detail has been reversed."

After the launch of the current administration, Prosecutor Seo was demoted to the Changwon branch of the Busan High Prosecutors' Office in the personnel reshuffle carried out in August last year.