At the first full meeting of the "parliamentary inquiry to uncover the truth about the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's political prosecutors and alleged fabricated indictment," the parties clashed over the SSANGBANGWOOL remittances to North Korea case.
The Democratic Party of Korea raised allegations that Prosecutor Park Sang-yong, who handled the investigation, "designed" the case, while the People Power Party argued that President Lee Jae-myung, then Gyeonggi governor, was connected to SSANGBANGWOOL's remittances to North Korea.
On the day, Democratic Party lawmaker Jeon Yong-gi additionally released a phone call recording between Prosecutor Park and attorney Seo Min-seok, who represents former Gyeonggi Vice Governor for Peace Lee Hwa-young. Jeon had previously raised allegations that Prosecutor Park attempted a sentence deal.
In the recording released that day, Prosecutor Park said, "If indicted like that, it becomes a size the judge cannot sentence," "After a little while, Vice Governor Lee will probably be released," "I think by then things like corporate cards won't be that important," and "Wouldn't that be a satisfactory outcome?"
Regarding this, Jeon asked, "You say it was 'designed,' and that Vice Governor Lee will get out—do prosecutors normally conduct investigations like this?" and said, "The unvarnished truth of how prosecutors sketched it out and pieced it together has been confirmed through the recording."
Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Seung-won also said, "It contains Park Sang-yong's strong intent to make then-Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung the main culprit," adding, "It also carries the nuance that the case could get so big the judge might report to or receive guidance from the Supreme Court. It is an insulting remark toward the court."
By contrast, People Power Party lawmaker Shin Dong-wook countered, "The $5 million for the smart farm project and the $3 million as the price for the governor's then-planned visit to the North is not fiction; there are clear circumstantial facts," adding, "Could former Vice Governor Lee have done this without President Lee knowing?"
People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun also said, "As a matter of common sense, how could Kim Sung-tae remit $8 million to North Korea just for stock manipulation, trusting the North?" and noted, "The North Korea-related project was known to the Gyeonggi governor, and they divided roles; there is an inference that this ultimately forms a principal offender relationship (a person who actually committed the crime of their own volition)."
Before the meeting, the People Power Party said regarding Prosecutor Park's recording, "The full recording shows Prosecutor Park refusing attorney Seo's request to classify him as an accessory, but it was chopped up and edited before being released," adding, "In the name of the PPP members on the special committee for the parliamentary inquiry, we will file a complaint with prosecutors against attorney Seo."
It continued, "The full transcript must be disclosed," and urged, "The parliamentary inquiry, launched on the basis of KBS' maliciously edited (recording) report, must be halted immediately."