Kwon Chang-young, the second comprehensive special prosecutor appointed (Judicial Research and Training Institute class 28), said a thorough fact-finding is needed on acts that took part in rebellion and martial law.
Arriving for work at law firm Jipyung in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 6th, Special Prosecutor Kwon said, While the three special prosecutions achieved some of their intended results after their launch, they still fall short of the public's expectations.
Kwon said, Realizing justice means specifying the charges and applicable crimes through strict application of the law and holding those responsible to the end, adding, I will do my best so that justice can flow like a river.
Kwon added, As of now, the cases related to rebellion are the most important and vast in scale, so I will decide the direction, progress, and methods of the investigation after consulting with the assistant special prosecutors.
Addressing criticism that Kwon lacks investigative experience because Kwon is a former judge, Kwon said, I served 18 years on the bench, including eight years on criminal trials, so I have ample experience. Through this, Kwon explained, the assistant special prosecutors and the dispatched prosecutors and investigators will be able to demonstrate their capabilities to the fullest.
Kwon was commissioned as a preliminary judge (judge) at the Chuncheon District Court, served as a judge at the Uijeongbu District Court, the Seoul Western District Court, the Seoul Administrative Court, the Seoul Southern District Court, and the Seoul High Court, then served as a Director General judge at the Changwon District Court and the Uijeongbu District Court, left the bench, and has worked as an attorney.
When reporters asked about plans to summon major figures including former President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee, Special Prosecutor Kwon answered, There are no sanctuaries in the investigation. Kwon added, Regardless of rank, if anyone was involved in crimes, no one will be exempt from being summoned and thoroughly investigated.
Regarding criticism that the second comprehensive special prosecution is a rehash, Kwon said, We will not simply follow the previous special prosecution but will review and evaluate again from a zero base and investigate, adding, The term rehash is inappropriate.
Under the second comprehensive special prosecution act, which passed the plenary session on the 16th of last month, Special Prosecutor Kwon plans to investigate for up to 170 days, including a 20-day preparation period, the unresolved parts of the three special prosecutions (rebellion, Kim Keon-hee, Chae Hae-byeong) and various allegations of election and power interference related to former President Yoon Suk-yeol and the former first lady.
The main targets of the investigation are 17 allegations in total, including suspicions related to planning and preparing the Dec. 3 emergency martial law such as dissolving the National Assembly as noted in the Noh Sang-won notebook, foreign-exchange allegations that they tried to provoke North Korean aggression through threatening flights by armed helicopters, and First Lady Kim Keon-hee's involvement in state affairs and personnel matters.
Kwon is set to begin various tasks including forming the investigation team, such as selecting assistant special prosecutors, and securing office space. The investigation period for the second comprehensive special prosecution team is up to 170 days, including the 20-day preparation period. The investigation staff will number up to 251.