South Korean Justice Minister Choo Promotes Prosecutors Loyal to the Moon Administration?

2020-8-8, Freedom-Korea.com [TRANSLATION] 

Many prosecutors who were moved to key positions announced on August 7, 2020 were controversial figures, who either prevented investigations targeting the Moon Jae-in administration or forcibly pursued investigating the allegations against the political opposition.  These personnel assignments are creating a stir.

According to those familiar with, or in, the Prosecutors’ office, ‘the personnel massacre’ in January 2020, which drove out a large number of prosecutors who led the investigation of alleged corruption by the Moon administration [Cho Kuk (조국) corruption, Ulsan mayoral election fraud, etc.], has already weakened the capability to investigate the current administration, but with the current personnel changes, it appears they intend to proactively block any investigations about the current administration.

Unconditional promotion for Choo Mi-ae’s loyal followers

The so-called “Choo Mi-ae Division” prosecutors occupied a large number of major posts in the Prosecutor General’s Office.  Cho Nam-kwan (조남관), who supervised the prosecution’s personnel and budget while assisting Minister Choo, was promoted and appointed as the Deputy Prosecutor General, the #2 position.

The successor to Director Cho Nam-kwan will be the former Chief of Anti-Corruption Department Violent Cases office Shim Jae-cheol (심재철), who was in the Personnel Hearing Preparation Team (인사청문준비단) of Minister Choo. In relation to the ‘Prosecutor’s Office of Yoo Jae-soo’s case in January, Shim was the person who argued that, unlike most of the attendees, “Former Minister Cho (Kuk) is clear from suspicion” at the internal meeting of the Prosecutor General’s Office to discuss whether to prosecute the former Justice Minister Cho Kuk. [Note: Shim Jae-cheol is also the name of a lawmaker in the Unified Future Party, but they are not the same person.]

Because of this, there was a commotion a few days later, when a senior researcher Yang Seok-jo (양석조) (now a prosecutor at High Prosecutor’s office in Daejon) complained to Shim, “Who said cho Kuk was clear from suspicion.  Are you (really) a prosecutor?”

Lee Jong-geun (이종근), the 1st Deputy Chief of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office, who served as the vice-chairman of the “Prosecution Reform Promotion Support Team” initiated by former Minister Cho Kuk, was promoted to Chief, Criminal Investigation Department, Prosecutor General’s Office. [Note:  Lee Jong-geun is the first person Cho Kuk appointed, which occurred on Cho’s second day at work as the Justice Minister.  For controversies and allegations against Cho Kuk, see here.]

Jang Young-soo district prosecutor who did not investigate Yoon Mi-hyang -> Promotion to Chief, High Prosecutor’s Office

Seoul West District Prosecutors’ Office, Jang Young-soo (장영수), who led the investigation of “JeongEuiYeon accounting fraud allegations” [Yoon Mi-hayng’s (윤미향) organization alleged to have stolen from “comfort women” after accepting donations and other financial support on behalf of them], was also promoted to the Chief of High Prosecutor’s Office in Daegu.

The Seoul Western District Prosecutor’s Office has been criticized for failing to investigate properly, because it has not even scheduled a summons for Democratic Party of Korea National Assemblywoman Yoon Mi-hyang for nearly three months since it first filed a complaint in May 2020.

District Prosecutor Kim Kwan-jung, who will investigate Chu Mi-ae’s son… Why promoted?

Kim Kwan-jeong (김관정), the head of Criminal Investigation Department, Prosecutor General’s Office, will become the Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul East District Prosecutor’s Office.  Kim is due to investigate Minister Choo Mi-ae’s son’s case of “Absent Without Leave (AWOL)” during his military service.  [Note: Choo’s son took leave as a KATUSA at 2nd Infantry Division and extended his leave once.  When he tried to extend again, his First Sergeant denied the request and he was told to return.  Choo then called the higher headquarters, exerting her influence, as she was a National Assemblywoman at that time.]

At a Prosecutor General’s Criminal Investigation Department meeting held on July 6, 2020, Kim Kwang-jeong is the person, who, along with Shim Jae-cheol, expressed an opinion in favor of ‘applying attempted coercion’ related to the ‘Channel A’ case (to prosecute one of Channel A’s journalists), despite the unanimous conclusion of the 5 Prosecutor General’s Office branch chiefs and researchers that “the crime charged does not hold.”  [Note: Channel A’s journalist Lee Dong-jae (이동재) was jailed in July 2020.  On July 2, 2020, Choo Mi-ae used her authority as the Justice Minister to order an investigation, a rare occurrence, which happened only twice in South Korea’s history, and this one is the first time in 15 years.]

LIME Investment scam investigation targeting Moon Jae-in… given to pro-Moon administration personnel…

In March 2020, the Uijeongbu District Prosecution’s Office Chief Prosecutor Park Soon-cheol (박순철), who prosecuted the Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-ryul’s mother-in-law Choi (74) for falsifying bank balance certificates (forgery of private documents), was transferred to the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office as the Chief Prosecutor.  This transfer is seen as a promotion.

The Seoul Southern District Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the (multi-billion dollars) “LIME (Asset Management) investment scam,’ which is suspected to have the involvement of the current power (the Blue House), and the ‘KBS Transcript Misreport’ related to ‘the Channel A’ case.  This personnel transfer of Park Soon-cheol signifies these cases will be handled by pro-Moon government personnel.

Observers say, “Is it not the intention to properly crush these cases by entrusting them to Prosecutor Park, who answered the (Moon) administration’s call to coerce Prosecutor General Yoon?”

Lee Sung-yoon’s (이성윤) loyal followers? Promoted together

Lee Jung-hyun (이정현), the First Deputy Director, the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office, was promoted to Chief of the Public Criminal Investigation Department, Prosecutor General’s Office,  while the Third Deputy Director, the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office Shin Seong-sik (신성식) moved to the Anti-corruption Violent Case office, Prosecutor General’s Office, and was promoted to Chief Prosecutor.

Deputy Director Lee Jung-hyun will be in charge of cases, including ‘the Blue House’s involvement in the Ulsan Mayor’s Election’ and the ‘Violation of the Public Official Election Act’ in the General Election in April 2020.  Deputy Director Shin will be in charge of special and violent cases nationwide.  Both are classified as close associates of Lee Seong-yoon (이성윤), the Chief Prosecutor, Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office.

The talk of Deputy Director Lee Jung-hyun being the subject of internal investigation was raised within the prosecution.  Lee, who led the investigation of the “Channel A case,” faced various suspicions, such as “search and seizure using violence” and “illegal monitoring.”

In addition, Deputy Director Shin is suspected of delivering false investigation information in the process of KBS broadcasting misinformation regarding the Channel A incident on July 18, 2020. Talks are emerging among the prosecutors and those familiar that there is “a paradoxical situation in which people who are subject to prosecution and investigation and deserve to be demoted have been promoted to lead the investigation of the (current) administration.”

Lee Seong-yoon remains in his position–means shield Moon Jae-in in the investigations against him…

Seoul Central District Chief Prosecutor Lee Seong-yoon, who was expected to be promoted to the high prosecutor’s office, was retained in his current position.  There have been calls for Chief Prosecutor Lee Seong-yoon to take responsibility for various controversies arising during the investigation of the Channel A case and the alleged leaks of former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon’s criminal charge (for sexual harassment of his secretary). The Ministry of Justice said, “We kept him in place for him to deal with major cases currently in progress.”

Regarding this, a person in the legal profession said, “It is read to mean that he should continue to take charge of the investigation against Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon (한동훈, connected to the  journalist in the Channel A case), who is close to Prosecutor General Yoon (Seok-ryul), and to defend the (Moon) administration in investigations against the (Moon) administration.

Source:  https://freedom-korea.com/entry/%EC%B6%A9%EA%B2%A9-%EC%B6%94%EB%AF%B8%EC%95%A0%EB%8A%94-%EA%B2%80%EC%B0%B0%EC%9D%B4-%EC%A0%95%EA%B6%8C%EC%9D%98-%EA%B0%9C%EA%B0%80-%EB%90%98%EB%A9%B4-%EC%8A%B9%EC%A7%84%EC%8B%9C%EC%BC%9C%EC%A4%80%EB%8B%A4