The side of Prosecutor Um Hee-jun, who faces allegations of exerting outside pressure during the investigation into unpaid severance pay for Coupang day laborers, asked the special counsel team led by Ahn Kwon-seop on the 6th to investigate Director General Moon Ji-seok, who raised the allegations, on suspicion of false accusation.

The prosecutor's attorney visited the office on the first day the special counsel team held a signboard ceremony and launched the related investigation in the morning and submitted a request for investigation, arguing that Director General Moon falsely accused Um, the person with command authority, to avoid an inspection by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.

Prosecutor Um Hee-jun of the Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office answers lawmakers' questions at the The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee audit of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on October 23. On the left is Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office Director General Moon Ji-seok. /Courtesy of News1

Um's side rebutted that the contents of the petition Director General Moon submitted to the Inspection Department of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office—such as ◇ omission of labor office seized items related to Coupang in the Supreme Prosecutors' Office report ◇ coercion to clear of charges ◇ presenting a guideline to clear of charges to the lead prosecutor—are not true.

Regarding the allegation that Um and Prosecutor Kim Dong-hee omitted seized items, they said, "On Apr. 18, Prosecutor Kim reported to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office the details of the labor office seized items and even Director General Moon's position," adding, "Objective evidence, including the prosecution messenger chat history, remains intact."

On the claim of coercing a disposition of no charge, they countered, "At a Mar. 5 meeting, Director General Moon agreed to handle the Coupang case with a disposition of no charge, and the related messenger records remain." On the allegation of presenting a guideline to clear of charges, they also said, "The lead prosecutor first presented an opinion of no charge to Um, and all that was said was to handle it according to the lead prosecutor's opinion."

Um's side said, "Director General Moon came under inspection by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on suspicion of unilaterally carrying out a search and seizure in disregard of prior reporting rules," adding, "To evade her own inspection allegations, she falsely accused Um with untrue facts."

They added, "Um has nothing to do with Coupang and has no motive whatsoever to distort the handling of cases related to Coupang," and said, "We ask the standing special counsel to consider the above circumstances and conduct a fair investigation with a sense of balance for both sides."

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