Attorney Dan Seong-han, a former head of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office's joint investigation unit on financial and securities crimes who was called the "grim reaper of Yeouido," is joining the defense team for bond investors affiliated with JoongAng Group, including JTBC.
According to legal sources on the 9th, Dan is expected to soon join the defense team that will handle the legal response for JoongAng Group bond investors. Investors are said to be reviewing both an application to the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) dispute mediation committee and civil and criminal lawsuits.
Dan is a specialist in special and financial investigations who served 23 years as a prosecutor, handling major anti-corruption cases and investigations into financial and securities crimes. After being appointed a prosecutor at the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office in 2003, he served at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, and the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office, and held key posts including deputy chief at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, head of the criminal division at the Seongnam branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, head of the 5th trial division and leader of the special trial team 1 at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, and head of the 1st criminal division at the Cheongju District Prosecutors' Office.
While serving as head of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office's joint investigation unit on financial and securities crimes, Dan also oversaw the probe into the so-called "Terra-Luna crisis." He applied the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act violation charge to Kwon Do-hyeong, head of Terraform Labs, obtained an arrest warrant, and sought Interpol cooperation to issue a red notice.
The case involving bond investors at JoongAng Group affiliates is also expected to be handled by former Financial Supervisory Service Governor Lee Bok-hyun together with law firm Changcheon. As FSS governor, Lee led major financial dispute investigations, including the Hong Kong ELS misselling scandal and the Homeplus Co.-MBK bond case.
Dan and Lee are alumni of the Seoul National University economics department in a senior-junior relationship. In 2012, they also worked together on the special investigation team for the "National Intelligence Service (NIS) presidential election interference case."
Dan said, "We are still discussing what role I will play on the team."