The Seoul High Prosecutors' Office summoned Prosecutor Park Sang-yong, who led the probe at the time, as a reference witness in connection with allegations that suspects were coerced with a "salmon and liquor party" during the investigation into the "SSANGBANGWOOL remittances to North Korea" case.
According to legal sources on the 30th, the human rights violation inspection task force (TF) of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office called in Park in the morning as a reference witness for questioning.
The so-called salmon and liquor party coercion allegations center on claims that on May 17, 2023, during questioning at the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office of former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor for Peace Lee Hwa-young, former SSANGBANGWOOL Group Chairman Kim Sung-tae, and former SSANGBANGWOOL Vice Chairman Bang Yong-cheol, outside food such as salmon and soju were brought in to coax them.
Lee raised the allegations after testifying in court in April last year that prosecutors had tried to coax statements with a salmon and liquor party. The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office investigation team countered that its internal review found Lee's claim to be untrue.
However, the Ministry of Justice said in a fact-finding inquiry in September that it confirmed indications that alcohol and food were actually provided and ordered an inspection. The TF also found indications of a crime during the inspection and converted the case to a criminal investigation.
Park has reportedly flatly denied the allegations, saying it would be difficult to secretly serve alcohol and that it is impossible to induce statements with outside food.