The second comprehensive special counsel team led by Kwon Chang-young said the presidential office under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration attempted to interfere in the investigation into President Lee Jae-myung related to the "cash-for-North transfers case," adding it suspects an "extra-large state power abuse."
At a briefing on Apr. 6, special counsel Kwon Young-bin said this in connection with the second special counsel receiving from prosecutors the so-called "coercing testimony allegations" case stemming from the probe into SSANGBANGWOOL's illegal cash remittances to North Korea. The special counsel team led by Kwon Chang-young is investigating the remaining suspicions after the so-called "three special counsels."
The "coercing testimony allegations" refer to claims that in May 2023, then Suwon District Prosecutors' Office deputy chief prosecutor Park Sang-yong brought in outside food, "salmon," and soju to cajole former Gyeonggi Province vice governor for peace Lee Hwa-young, former SSANGBANGWOOL Group chairman Kim Sung-tae, former SSANGBANGWOOL vice chairman Bang Yong-chul, and others during questioning. The dispute over the facts is ongoing.
Kwon said, "In early March, we confirmed an attempt by the presidential office under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration to intervene in the SSANGBANGWOOL cash-for-North transfers case," adding, "Accordingly, in late March we requested the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office take over the case."
He said, "The special counsel team's investigative target is not a specific private company or the salmon-and-drinking party allegations, but state power abuse such as misuse by investigative agencies," adding, "The special counsel team views this case as a suspected extra-large state power abuse by the state."
Under the second comprehensive special counsel act, the special counsel's investigative scope is "cases in which Yoon Suk-yeol and Kim Keon-hee received reports on investigation circumstances related to their own or others' cases and violated due process related to investigation and indictment procedures."
However, Kwon said, "A specific private company (such as SSANGBANGWOOL) is not the investigative target," and "the 'salmon drinking party' allegations are not a main focus of the special counsel." He also said, "Discipline of officials at the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, investigations of prosecutors by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), and cancellation of indictments are unrelated to the comprehensive special counsel's investigation." These are not investigative targets under the special counsel act, and the so-called "state power abuse" is the target.
Kwon said the special counsel team is not excessively broadening the scope of its investigation. He said, "Among cases related to the prosecution's ongoing 'fabricated indictment parliamentary probe,' if clues are confirmed of reports made to the former president Yoon, we are determining whether they fall within our investigative scope."
Asked whether any presidential office officials under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration have been booked for involvement in the "cash-for-North transfers case," Kwon said, "We have just received the records, a total of 60. We need time to review," adding, "Among the records, no prosecutors or investigative agency officials have been booked yet."
To strengthen its investigative capacity, the special counsel team requested that the Ministry of Justice dispatch additional prosecutors. Under the special counsel act, the team can receive 15 dispatched prosecutors, but 12 are currently assigned.