The second special prosecutor team, led by Kwon Chang-young, is nearing its first indictment after more than 100 days since its establishment. Following the completion of the first face-to-face investigation of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, the investigation is accelerating into major cases, including allegations of preferential treatment in the relocation of the presidential office, the justification of martial law messaging, and the alleged cover-up of investigations involving Kim Kun-hee.
According to legal sources on the 7th, the special prosecutor's office is expected to decide this week whether to indict Kim Dae-ki, the former chief of staff to the president, and Yoon Jae-soon, the former secretary for general affairs, who are currently detained on charges of abuse of power. Their detention period is set to expire on the 10th.
The allegations regarding the presidential office relocation center on claims that 2.8 billion won ($2.1 million) from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's budget was diverted to pay an unqualified contractor, 21 Gram, for additional construction costs during the renovation of the presidential residence in Hannam-dong in 2022. The special prosecutor's office believes that both Kim and Yoon were involved in the budget diversion process, leading to their detention.
The special prosecutor is also reviewing whether to take legal action against former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min and former presidential office management secretary Kim O-jin, who face similar charges. Further investigations into the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Public Procurement Service, and the Board of Audit and Inspection regarding the relocation allegations are also expected to continue.
Additionally, the special prosecutor's office summoned former President Yoon for the first time on June 6 as a suspect in the abuse of power investigation. This marked the first time he was questioned since the special prosecutor's office was established on February 25, 101 days prior.
The investigation focuses on allegations that Yoon directed the National Security Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Intelligence Service to communicate messages justifying the martial law to allied countries immediately after the declaration of martial law in December last year.
During the investigation, Yoon reportedly denied the allegations, stating that he did not issue any related directives. His legal team claims that he only mentioned the need to explain the situation to allied nations, without instructing the drafting or delivery of specific messages.
The special prosecutor's office has already investigated former National Security Office Deputy Director Kim Tae-hyo, former National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong, and former Deputy Director Hong Jang-won, and plans to summon Hong again on the 11th to confirm the facts.
Former President Yoon is scheduled to appear before the special prosecutor's office again on the 13th regarding charges of being a leader of rebellion under military law.
The special prosecutor's office is examining whether the actions of Yoon and former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun, who deployed armed martial law troops to the National Assembly and the National Election Commission during the martial law, constitute rebellion under military law.
However, there are concerns about double indictment issues related to the ongoing insurrection leader case, prompting legal reviews. Yoon's legal team argues that the rebellion charges are included in the existing insurrection charges, and there are indications within the special prosecutor's office that a decision of no prosecution may be possible.
Investigations into various allegations surrounding Kim Kun-hee are also ongoing.
The special prosecutor's office is examining the decision not to prosecute in the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case and the handling of the Dior bag gift incident. They are investigating former Seoul Central District Prosecutor Lee Chang-soo, who was responsible for the investigations, and Choi Jae-hoon, head of the Daejeon District Prosecutor's Office's Serious Economic Crimes Investigation Unit.
Additionally, they are verifying facts related to the allegations of preferential treatment in the presidential office relocation and the alleged cover-up of investigations involving Kim. Former Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung, who was part of the prosecution leadership at the time, is also under scrutiny.
Legal experts believe that the first indictment related to the presidential office relocation will mark the beginning of a more definitive phase in the special prosecutor's investigation. However, significant legal issues and additional investigation schedules remain for each major case, suggesting that thorough reviews will continue before final decisions are made.
The special prosecutor's office has already extended its initial investigation period (90 days) once and is currently set to conclude by the 24th of this month. Under the special prosecutor law, the investigation period can be extended twice by 30 days each, allowing for one more extension if necessary.
The special prosecutor's office is currently facing a manpower shortage, having secured only 12 out of 15 designated prosecutors. Recently, they have explained to the National Assembly the need to amend the special prosecutor law to allow qualified special investigators to participate in maintaining prosecutions due to the increasing burden of investigations and prosecutions ahead of major indictments.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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