Suwon District Prosecutor’s Office Seongnam Branch Director Park Eun-jung is raising a keen eye for the political circle ahead of the presidential election as claims are raised that he overruled the investigation into Seongnam FC sponsorship by Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea.
Park Ha-young, the Deputy Prosecutor at the Seongnam Branch, who has been investigating the allegations of sponsorship for professional soccer Seongnam FC, said in a post posted to the prosecution’s internal network on the 25th, “I had to leave earlier than I thought. There was no other way.” Conflicts within the prosecution over the investigation of a powerful presidential candidate have erupted outside.
Suspicion of Seongnam FC’s sponsorship is suspected to be that from 2015 to 2017, when Lee was the mayor of Seongnam and the owner of Seongnam FC, six companies including Doosan E&C, Naver, and Nonghyup provided donations of 16 billion won to Seongnam FC, and Seongnam City changed its use and built it in return. It is said that various privileges such as permission were given.
The Bundang Police Station, which conducted an investigation for over three years, concluded that the governor was acquitted in September of last year, but the accuser raised an objection and was transferred to the Seongnam branch in October last year. Deputy Prosecutor Park Ha-young, who directed the case, strongly requested a re-investigation, but Park Eun-jung, the head of the Seongnam Branch, who took the lead in disciplinary action once morest Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, blocked this, and ripples are spreading. The deputy chief prosecutor submitted his resignation following the branch chief blocked the investigation into the presidential candidate of the passport.
On the 26th, Prosecutor General Kim Oh-su ordered Shin Sung-shik, chief of the Suwon District Prosecutor’s Office, to investigate the allegations that Deputy Prosecutor Park resigned following a conflict with Prosecutor Park. However, concerns are already being expressed in that Prosecutor Shin is a junior in the candidate’s university.
The media urged an investigation into the allegations of Seongnam FC sponsorship and obstruction of the investigation. With the exception of the Hankyoreh, major daily newspapers, including the Seoul Daily, JoongAng Ilbo, Chosun Ilbo, Munhwa Ilbo, Kyunghyang Shinmun, Kookmin Ilbo, Hankook Ilbo, and Segye Ilbo, made a single voice in editorial.
Seoul Shimbun: “Investigate ‘Seongnam FC Sponsorship Suspicion’ without political color” (January 28)
JoongAng Ilbo: “The truth of ‘Director Park Eun-jung blocked the investigation of Seongnam FC’ must be revealed” (January 27)
Chosun Ilbo: “What would have happened if it was related to the former head of the government, who had been involved in the investigation on Lee for four months?” (January 27)
Munhwa Ilbo: “Allegations of Lee-Seongnam FC and Park Eun-jung’s obstruction of investigation must be investigated” (January 26)
Kyunghyang Shinmun: “The Prosecutor General’s resignation on the ‘Seongnam FC suspicion’ investigation ordered by the Prosecutor General” (January 27)
Kookmin Ilbo: “Should be thoroughly covered over the suspicion of ‘doing investigations’ by Park Eun-jung, the head of Seongnam Branch” (January 27)
Hankook Ilbo: “Was there any political influence from the Deputy Prosecutor’s Office of Seongnam FC?” (January 27)
Segye Ilbo: “Seongnam FC donations flow into city sports organizations… Isn’t it ‘power-type corruption’” (January 28)
In an editorial, the Seoul Shimbun said, “It is difficult to understand that the police had been holding the case for more than three years and then dismissed the charges due to insufficient evidence when Lee emerged as a powerful presidential candidate for the passport. If the crushing is true, he can’t help but doubt his political intentions. Prosecutors Park and Shin are representative prosecutors who are classified as pro-female in the legal world.”
The JoongAng Ilbo said in an editorial, “After the resignation of Deputy Prosecutor Ha-young Park caused a stir, President Oh-su Kim ordered the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office to investigate the circumstances yesterday (26th). However, following asking, “Is this a problem that will be resolved by passing the ball to Suwon District Prosecutor Shin Sung-sik, who has been called a pro-government prosecutor?” He asked, “We need to exclude the governor, who has been questioned regarding political neutrality and the fairness of the investigation due to the prosecution’s internal revelations, and examine whether there is any suspicion of abuse of power. will do,” he said.
The Chosun Ilbo strongly criticized Park’s pro-government tendencies. In an editorial in the Chosun Ilbo, the Chosun Ilbo said, “Chief Park was accused of abuse of power while forcibly pushing for a search and seizure aimed at disciplinary action once morest Chief Prosecutor Yoon (Seok-yeol), raising controversy over illegality at the time of the Ministry of Justice’s inspection officer at the time.” It is said that the prosecution’s request for a re-investigation of the candidate-related case was blocked for four months. What would you have done if it had been a case involving candidate Yoon?”
In an editorial from the Kyunghyang Shimbun, the Kyunghyang Shimbun also said, “Chief Park served as the Inspector General of the Ministry of Justice during the days of Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae and led the disciplinary action once morest the then-President of the Attorney General Yoon Seok-yeol. It needs to be clarified.”
He continued, “Some people are concerned regarding the fairness of Prosecutor Shin, who will lead his own investigation, as he is Lee’s college junior. will have to do it,” he said.
The Kookmin Ilbo also said, “There is only one correct answer. Prosecutors are not conscious of political drafts and deal with cases resolutely according to the facts that are revealed. If we cover it up properly and delay it, the rumors will grow more and more and the election will become more turbulent,” he said.
The Hankook Ilbo also said, “If Hana Park put the brakes on the re-investigation due to political considerations, it is a serious problem that might apply not only to abuse of power but also to intervene in elections. must be resolved We need to come to a convincing conclusion as soon as possible on the investigation into the Seongnam FC allegation,” he said.
In the case of the Hankyoreh, from the 26th to the 28th, when major daily newspapers poured editorials, they did not deal with the suspicion of refusing to investigate Seongnam FC’s donations. On the 27th, the Hankyoreh reported on the 4th page “Lee Jae-myung’s son’s military hospital preference and Seongnam FC allegations… In a report under the heading, “Youn camp rushing,” he explained the suspicion of Seongnam FC’s sponsorship and the subsequent investigation into the investigation.
