Director General Prosecutor Moon Ji-seok, who exposed alleged external pressure not to indict in the "Coupang severance pay nonindictment" case, appeared again on the 14th before Ahn Kwon-seop's standing special prosecutor team.
The standing special prosecutor team is under investigation Director General Prosecutor Moon as a reference witness from 10 a.m. that day.
Director General Prosecutor Moon appeared before the special counsel team at about 9:36 a.m. that day and said that after being assigned to the Bucheon branch of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office on June 3, 2024, the team is checking the work in chronological order, adding, "As far as I know, this round of questioning will investigate what happened starting on Feb. 21."
Earlier, the Bucheon branch of the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office sent the case to prosecutors in January this year with an opinion to indict Coupang in connection with unpaid severance pay at Coupang's logistics subsidiary Coupang Fulfillment Services (CFS). However, the Bucheon branch of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office issued a nonindictment decision in April, citing no suspicion.
Director General Prosecutor Moon, who investigated the case, said during the National Assembly's Environment and Labor Committee audit in Oct. that then-branch chief Um Hee-jun, a superior, and then-deputy chief prosecutor Kim Dong-hee exerted pressure to issue a no-suspicion disposition for Coupang.
He said he and the lead prosecutor argued that Coupang's change to its work rules was illegal, but former deputy chief Kim tried to cajole them, calling it a "case where no suspicion is clear," and former branch chief Um, after a new lead prosecutor was assigned in Feb. this year, called that prosecutor in separately and gave a guideline for a no-suspicion outcome in the Coupang case.
Minister of Justice Jung Sung-ho decided on a standing special prosecutor investigation, saying an independent third body needs to uncover the truth. In response, the special counsel led by Special Prosecutor Ahn Kwon-seop opened the investigation on the 6th.