Seo Min-seok, the attorney who had represented former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor for Peace Lee Hwa-young, on the 6th submitted to prosecutors as evidence an audio file of a phone currency with Prosecutor Park Sang-yong in connection with allegations of coaxed testimony raised during the probe into the SSANGBANGWOOL remittances to North Korea case.
Before appearing at 9:20 a.m. on the 6th at the Human Rights Violation Inspection Task Force (TF) of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, Attorney Seo held a press conference and said, "Some political forces and political prosecutors are attacking me, the messenger, thereby clouding the essence of the truly important message," adding, "The essence of this case is that a prosecutor tried to induce false testimony."
Seo said, "This audio file was discovered by a stroke of luck and made public," adding, "The attacks aimed at me now are not simply criticism of an individual but a distorted framing created by forces afraid the truth will come out."
He referred to Prosecutor Park Sang-yong leaving the Special Committee on the National Investigation on the 3rd and said, "This is behavior that evaded the truth."
Seo said, "The audio file to be submitted to prosecutors is the original," adding, "It will be objectively verified that it is not fabricated or stitched together." He continued, "If this audio file was fabricated or reassembled for my benefit, I will resign from my preliminary candidacy for Cheongju mayor for the Democratic Party of Korea and take full responsibility."
Earlier, on the 29th of last month, Seo made public a phone currency audio file, claiming there had been alleged coaxing of testimony by the responsible prosecutor, Prosecutor Park, during the investigation into the SSANGBANGWOOL remittances to North Korea case. The ruling camp is raising suspicion that Prosecutor Park engaged in "coaxing testimony," citing parts of this transcript.
Prosecutor Park's position is that it is a "stitch-up that did not disclose the entire phone currency." He explained that Attorney Seo first proposed in effect that former Vice Governor Lee be charged as an accomplice, and that, as a prosecutor, he rejected this while explaining general conditions for leniency.