[단독]Will’Kim Hak-e’ also leave the noodles… “Then Lee Sung-yoon directs his warrant

Kim Jin-wook, head of the High-ranking Public Officials Crime Investigation Office (KPA), is struggling over a plan to transfer the suspected illegal departure of Kim Hak-ei to the head of the National Investigation Headquarters (Guksubon) of the National Police Agency. It is questioned whether the case of the Blue House civil administration line’s alleged involvement, such as Seoul Central District Prosecutor General Lee Seong-yoon as well as Lee Gwang-cheol, the Blue House Civil Administration Secretary, can be handled fairly.

According to the JoongAng Ilbo coverage on the 8th, Director Kim said that he was considering putting considerable weight on the possibility of repatriation of noodles. Deputy Director Kim said on his way to work on the 4th, “You can also relocate with noodles.” While prospects such as direct treatment and re-transfer to the prosecution came out regarding the direction of the case by the air defense agency,’guksu-bon transfer’ was mentioned as one of the possible treatment options. The remarks came a day after the prosecutors transferred the case related to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, Lee Seong-yoon, who was suspicious of overcoming the Anyang District’s investigation of illegal withdrawals when he served as the chief prosecutor of anti-corruption force in 2019.

However, it was criticized by the legal community that “both the speed and fairness of the investigation could be undermined.” First of all, it is pointed out that fairness cannot be guaranteed if a case in which there is a suspicion of involvement by the Blue House officials is entrusted to the head of the current government Blue House, the head of the Nam headquarters. Headquarters Nam was dispatched from the Moon Jae-in government’s Blue House State Planning Situation Room for a year starting in August 2018, and worked with Secretary Lee Gwang-cheol, who was then senior administrative officer in the Civil Affairs Office. He is also a junior of the high school (Masan Joongang High School) of the Minister of Public Administration and Security Jeon Jeon-cheol, who is classified as the current regime.

One lawyer who used to be a judge said, “There is no reason to cause unnecessary misunderstanding by entrusting the case to the head of the South Headquarters, who has close friendships with the subject of investigation.”

It is pointed out that it is also a problem that the two institutions separately investigate the suspected illegal withdrawal of Kim Hak-e’s former vice minister. The first public interest reporter who raised the suspicion of illegal withdrawal was one of the reasons for which District Prosecutor Lee Seong-yoon refused to investigate the illegal withdrawal of Anyang District withdrawal to the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutor’s Office on March 22-23, 2019 on the day before and on the day of withdrawal of former Vice Minister Kim. He raised suspicion that it was because he had requested to confirm it. As there is a suspicion that the prosecutor of the district prosecutor was involved not only in investigation, but also in illegal withdrawal itself, the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Investigation Team, who is investigating suspects who are suspicious of illegal withdrawal, such as Cha Gyu-geun, head of the Immigration and Foreigner Policy Headquarters of the Ministry of Justice, believes that a quick investigation is possible.

Due to the noodle copy, there may be a situation in which District Prosecutor Lee Seong-yoon directly directs whether to request an arrest warrant or arrest warrant against him. This is because Chief Prosecutor Lee refused to notify Suwon District Prosecutors’ three times. When the noodle version decides to apply for a warrant for this district prosecutor, the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office must decide whether or not to make a request. As the suspect, District Prosecutor Seong-yoon Lee, the head of the investigative agency, has the authority to command not only his warrant, but also whether the final prosecution has been made.

Some point out that it is against the agreement to adjust the power of prosecutor and light investigation. As a result of the adjustment of the prosecutor’s and light-investigative powers, public officials of level 3 or higher were investigated by the air defense agency, level 4 by the prosecution, and level 5 or lower by the police. The original agreement will be distorted if the government agency re-transfers to the noodle copy because there are no conditions for direct investigation. It is also at this point that criticism has emerged that the case that the airborne ministry is transferred to the national prosecutor’s office is “degrading into an institution to which the airborne service is redistributed.”

In addition to the noodle copy, Kim has not ruled out the possibility of re-imaging the prosecution and direct investigations by the airlift. In particular, with regard to the direct investigation of the air defense agency, the practical constraints that the investigation organization does not have can be resolved through the’send of the prosecution’. Article 44 of the Ministry of Airborne Act stipulates that public officials can be dispatched from other administrative agencies if necessary, taking into account the content and characteristics of the duties of the airlift. Since the Airborne Department currently has only about 10 investigators to help with the selection process, the Deputy Director, Deputy Director, and personnel can be dispatched to investigate the prosecutor until the prosecutor selection procedure is completed. An official from the legal profession said, “You can think of a way to run the investigation team in a way that the Airborne Department is dispatched to the Suwon District Prosecutor’s Office, such as Prosecutor Lee Jeong-seop, and commanded by Director Kim or Deputy Chief of the Airborne Department.”

Reporter Jeong Yujin [email protected]