Probe targets expanded from 7 to 19 cases last month; written inquiries sent on statistics manipulation, West Sea shooting

The Ministry of Justice building in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. [Ministry of Justice]
The Ministry of Justice building in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. [Ministry of Justice]

The fact-finding team under the Ministry of Justice's Prosecutors' Human Rights and Future Committee has decided to extend its mandate by 30 days. The extension was deemed unavoidable given that the team's caseload has grown to 19 — up from the original seven after 12 cases were added last month — and that formal inquiries have already been sent out.

The fact-finding team submitted a request for an extension to the Ministry of Justice through the Supreme Prosecutors' Office earlier this week, according to reporting compiled Thursday. The committee held a meeting at 4 p.m. Thursday to discuss the extension.

Under the relevant guidelines, the team is required to complete its investigation and submit a findings report within 90 days of its establishment. However, if it is unable to finish the investigation or prepare the report in time, it may report the reasons to the justice minister through the prosecutor general and seek extensions in 30-day increments.

Earlier, then-Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho ordered the creation of the committee in April to investigate allegations of human rights violations and abuse of authority during prosecutorial investigations. The committee was set up to verify the facts of cases involving such violations and recommend follow-up measures to the minister.

The committee, chaired by attorney Jang Ju-young, a former head of Lawyers for a Democratic Society, selected seven cases as its initial targets: the SBW inter-Korean remittance case, the Daejang-dong case, the case involving former Democratic Research Institute Vice Chairman Kim Yong, the Wirye new town case, the West Sea civil servant shooting case, the statistics manipulation case, and the case involving allegations of false reporting defaming Yoon Suk Yeol.

The fact-finding team was assembled at the committee's request the same month and began operations. It initially set up at the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office before moving to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and is now based at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office. The team twice asked the Supreme Court for access to trial records in the Kim case but was denied both times. It is currently working with copies held by prosecutors.

The Ministry of Justice held a public application process in June and July to identify additional cases for investigation, and the committee subsequently selected 12 more.

The 12 additional cases include allegations of separate-charge and targeted prosecution of a former Daegu deputy mayor along with suspected witness coaching, allegations related to Gyeonggi Province corporate card use, the Kim Hak-eui travel ban case, a case involving unpaid wages at Daeyoo Winia Group, the alleged politically directed investigation into interference in the Ulsan mayoral election during the Moon Jae-in administration, and allegations related to the Baekhyeon-dong development.

Also selected were the case involving allegations related to Seongnam FC, a case concerning an allegedly unlawful search and seizure at the office of an attorney who is a former senior prosecutor, a case in which the Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office allegedly fabricated bribery charges related to the salary of former President Moon Jae-in's son-in-law, allegations of politically directed investigations orchestrated from Cheong Wa Dae, allegations of concealment during the investigation into Coupang Inc.'s failure to pay severance, and a case related to alleged subornation of perjury in the trial of former Vice Chairman Kim.

The fact-finding team recently sent written inquiries to the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office team that investigated the statistics manipulation case and to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office team that handled the West Sea shooting case, marking a shift from document review to active investigation. The team is expected to move into the investigation phase for the remaining cases once it finishes reviewing their records.

Legal circles have raised questions about whether the process is laying the groundwork for withdrawing indictments, noting that eight of the 19 cases are directly or indirectly linked to President Lee Jae Myung. Some observers suggest that if the committee finds fault with the investigations or prosecutions related to Lee, the findings could lead to the launch of a special prosecution team or even the withdrawal of charges.


bell@heraldcorp.com
yg@heraldcorp.com