Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Targets 'Investigation Pressure' Allegations... Intensified Questioning of Lee Si-won

[Financial News] The special prosecutor team for Chae Sang-byeong (Lee Myung-hyun special prosecutor) has officially started to clarify the circumstances of the so-called 'VIP Fury' and the 'investigation pressure' related to the Chae Sang-byeong case.
The special prosecutor team summoned Lee Si-won, former presidential office public discipline secretary, who was involved in retrieving the investigation records of the Chae Sang-byeong case on the 31st, to intensively investigate the circumstances of pressure and the specific process of involvement.
Jung Min-young, deputy special prosecutor for Chae Sang-byeong, stated at a regular briefing that "Former Secretary Lee was the person who closely communicated with key figures in the Ministry of National Defense several times from August 2, 2023, when the Marine Corps investigation team transferred the Chae Sang-byeong case records to the police," and "We believe it is necessary to confirm various aspects, not only on August 2 but also on the subsequent involvement of the presidential office."
Former Secretary Lee has agreed to provide the password for his seized mobile phone and cooperate with facial recognition for unlocking.
Deputy Special Prosecutor Jung also stated, "Last Friday, we conducted a reference investigation on Im Ki-hoon, former presidential office national defense secretary," and "We have completed investigations on five officials from the National Security Office who attended the chief secretary meeting presided over by the presidential office on July 31, 2023." He added, "We plan to further investigate the circumstances before and after the July 31 meeting, specifically the lobbying allegations that angered former President Yoon and the re-examination of the investigation results related to the pressure allegations."
The special prosecutor is also speeding up the acquisition of communication records from encrypted phones, including those of former President Yoon Seok-yeol and his wife Kim Geon-hee. Deputy Special Prosecutor Jung explained, "We have obtained search warrants for individuals who are believed to have used encrypted phones at the time, and we are confirming whether key figures actually used encrypted phones," stating that the seizure targets are the communication records such as sending and receiving of encrypted phones, and the actual mobile phones have not been seized.
Former Secretary Lee, a suspect in the abuse of authority charges, appeared at the special prosecutor's office in Seocho-gu, Seoul at around 9:20 a.m. He only left a short answer, "I will be investigated sincerely," to reporters' questions about whether former President Yoon ordered the retrieval of investigation records or if he was enraged after being informed of the transfer.
Former Secretary Lee has been identified as a key figure directly linked to former President Yoon's investigation pressure allegations, and the special prosecutor team recently imposed a travel ban on him. He is suspected of communicating with Yoo Jae-eun, former Ministry of National Defense legal affairs director, and Im Ki-hoon, former national defense secretary, during the time when the military prosecution team was retrieving investigation records on August 2, 2023.
It is reported that Park Mo, a superintendent who worked together in the public discipline secretary's office, testified in the special prosecutor's investigation on the 16th that former Secretary Lee instructed to review the re-retrieval of investigation records.
Meanwhile, the special prosecutor has secured testimony that former President Yoon Seok-yeol reprimanded Lee Jong-seop, then Minister of National Defense, after receiving the initial investigation results of the Chae Sang-byeong case.
Im Ki-hoon, former presidential office national defense secretary, appeared in the special prosecutor's office as a reference on the 25th and testified about the situation during the chief secretary meeting presided over by the presidential office on July 31, 2023, when the 'VIP Fury' was raised. He reportedly testified that former President Yoon was furious about the initial results of the Marine Corps investigation team, saying, "Who would want to be a division commander if you punish a division commander for something like this?" and instructed to connect with the Minister of National Defense immediately.
It is reported that Cho Tae-yong, former director of the National Intelligence Service, who was investigated by the special prosecutor on the 29th, also testified that he directly saw former President Yoon reprimanding former Minister Lee over the phone.
In response, former Minister Lee's side refuted, "There was no pressure instruction such as excluding a specific person from the suspect or stopping the transfer during the call at that time."
The 'VIP Fury' refers to the content that former President Yoon was enraged after receiving the initial investigation results of the Chae Sang-byeong case, saying, "Who would want to be a division commander if you punish a division commander for something like this?" and subsequently, former Minister Lee instructed to postpone the transfer of the case to the police and cancel the press briefing.

scottchoi15@fnnews.com Choi Eun-sol Reporter