On the 2nd, the standing special counsel launched a raid on the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to check whether higher-ups ordered evidence to be concealed in connection with the alleged disposal of "banknote band labels."
According to legal sources, the special counsel on the morning of the same day sent prosecutors and investigators to the information and communications division of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-dong, Seoul, and is securing messenger records related to the "Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office investigator's loss of banknote band labels from bundles of cash" and materials related to the "alleged external pressure on the Coupang investigation."
Earlier, in Oct. last year, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office announced the results of an inspection and investigation, saying that while there was practical negligence in the process of managing the banknote bands, no orders from higher-ups to conceal evidence were confirmed. At the time, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office secured and reviewed prosecutor messenger records up to Aug. 22 last year, but it is reported that the special counsel judged it necessary to examine records after that and moved to conduct the raid.
Through this raid and the ensuing investigation, the special counsel is also expected to examine whether there were any problems with the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's inspection and investigation of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office at the time. The special counsel received the case investigation records from the inspection division of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Dec. last year and has been reviewing them.
The Southern District Prosecutors' Office, during a search and seizure of Jeon Seong-bae, known as Geonjin, at his home in Dec. 2024, secured bundles of cash, including 50 million won worth of Bank of Korea banded notes, but, unable to identify the source, handed the case over to the Kim Keon-hee special counsel. The Southern District Prosecutors' Office lost the bands and stickers that indicated the banknote inspection date, person in charge, and department, and said an employee lost them while counting the cash.
Minister Jung Sung-ho of the Ministry of Justice in July last year ordered strong measures, including inspections to determine the facts and identify responsibility, and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, after launching an inspection and converting it to an investigation to ascertain the facts, announced in Oct. of the same year the conclusion of "no orders from higher-ups." Minister Jung determined that further fact-finding was needed and decided on a standing special counsel investigation.
To verify comprehensive information such as management of the production and use authority for the banknote bands, the special counsel on the 19th of last month also executed a search and verification warrant on the Currency Issue Department of the Bank of Korea.
It is known that through the raid on the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the same day, the special counsel is also securing investigation reports and other documents that the Bucheon Branch of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office, which investigated the "alleged external pressure on the Coupang investigation," sent to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.
Prosecutor Moon Ji-seok (then chief prosecutor of the Bucheon Branch of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office) investigated on the premise that nonpayment of severance to daily workers due to Coupang's change in employment rules was illegal, but Prosecutor Kim Dong-hee of the Busan High Prosecutors' Office (then deputy chief prosecutor of the Bucheon Branch) "said it was a case clearly warranting no charges" and attempted to persuade, according to Moon. A claim was also raised that Prosecutor Um Hee-jun of the Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office (then head of the Bucheon Branch) separately summoned the newly appointed lead prosecutor and gave no-charge guidelines.
Through the raid, the special counsel is expected to verify whether key documents were omitted from the reports submitted to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, whether the branch leadership intentionally left them out during the reporting process, and whether allegations are true that confidential information, including supplemental instruction items and search-and-seizure plans, was leaked.