The second comprehensive special prosecutor team, led by Kwon Chang-young, is moving towards concluding its investigations, with two weeks remaining before its activities end. The team has begun indicting key suspects, although significant inquiries remain, raising questions about the outcomes of ongoing allegations.
According to legal sources on the 9th, the special prosecutor's office is focusing on a 'Heavy Tail' strategy in the latter stages of its investigation, concentrating on the indictment of major suspects.
On August 7, the special prosecutor indicted Shin Yong-ha, former head of the Ministry of Justice's correctional headquarters, on charges related to insurrection, while Yoo Byung-ho, a member of the Board of Audit and Inspection, was indicted on charges of abuse of authority.
Since its launch in February, the special prosecutor has indicted a total of 11 individuals. Specifically, in June, former Chief of Staff Kim Dae-ki and former Secretary Yoon Jae-soon were indicted on charges of abuse of authority related to allegations of favoritism in the relocation of the presidential office. Former Administrative Secretary Kim O-jin and former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min were indicted without detention.
The special prosecutor has also taken action regarding allegations of involvement in martial law by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Former Chairman Kim Myung-soo was indicted without detention, while former Deputy Chief Jeong Jin-pal, former Deputy Chief of the Inspection Division Lee Jae-sik, and former Army Headquarters Policy Director Kim Heung-jun were indicted with detention.
Additionally, on July 29, former National Security Office First Deputy Director Kim Tae-hyo was indicted for allegedly delivering messages to allied countries to justify the martial law declaration.
The special prosecutor is expected to exert full effort to wrap up major cases in the remaining time. Among the cases handled by the Kim Geon-hee special prosecutor team, the allegations regarding the Yangpyeong Expressway and the relocation of the presidential office remain unresolved.
The allegations regarding the change in the endpoint of the Yangpyeong Expressway surfaced after the start of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, as the endpoint was changed to a location owned by Kim Geon-hee's family. The special prosecutor only managed to indict a civil servant from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for abuse of authority.
The special prosecutor has summoned former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong twice to investigate the allegations, but stated, "The testimonies from related parties regarding the route change have not been properly made, leaving the investigation at a standstill."
In connection with the allegations of favoritism in the relocation of the presidential office, Kim Geon-hee is under investigation. She is accused of receiving money from 21Gram and facilitating a construction contract for 21Gram, which lacks qualifications as a general construction company. She underwent her first investigation by the special prosecutor on July 22. In response, her legal team has countered that the special prosecutor's claims are one-sided. Additionally, lawmakers Yoon Han-hong and Kim Tae-young, the representative of 21Gram, are also under investigation.
The investigation into allegations of stock manipulation involving Deutsche Motors is also expected to yield a decision soon. Former Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung, former Seoul Central District Prosecutor Lee Chang-soo, and former Deputy Chief of the Anti-Corruption Division Choi Jae-hoon have been summoned as suspects, with a decision on their indictment anticipated within two weeks.
Among the insurrection cases, the investigation into former Prosecutor General Shim remains unresolved. The special prosecutor suspects that Shim participated in the martial law by considering dispatching to the joint investigation headquarters at the direction of former Minister of Justice Park Sung-jae. The special prosecutor has conducted a search of the Supreme Prosecutor's Office and continued investigations into Shim, but a request for an arrest warrant was denied by the court.
Decisions regarding former National Intelligence Service First Deputy Director Hong Jang-won and former Army Capital Defense Command First Guard Commander Jo Sung-hyun are also expected in the future. The insurrection special prosecutor team has not filed charges against them, but has conducted multiple investigations, asserting that their involvement in insurrection-related duties has been substantiated. Given the differing judgments on the same case, if the special prosecutor proceeds with indictments, legal disputes are likely to continue throughout the trial process.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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