Minister of Justice Orders Investigation into 'Geonjin Beopsa Cash Band Loss'... Supreme Prosecutors' Office Begins Investigation

[Financial News] The prosecution has lost the cash band from the money bundles secured at the home of Jeon Seong-bae, known as 'Geonjin Beopsa', and Jeong Seong-ho, the Minister of Justice, has ordered all measures to determine the truth.
The Ministry of Justice stated on the 19th, "Minister Jeong instructed that all necessary measures, including an investigation to determine the truth and responsibility, be taken regarding the loss and inadequate response of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office's clues in tracking the Geonjin Beopsa cash band, as it is a very serious matter."
The Supreme Prosecutors' Office is expected to begin an investigation immediately. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office stated, "Acting Prosecutor General No Man-seok has instructed the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Department to directly start an investigation to determine the truth and identify responsibility following the Minister of Justice's order."
The Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Department plans to send an investigation team, led by the head of Inspection Division 3, to the Southern District Prosecutors' Office to begin the inspection.
Mr. Jeon is considered a key figure in the 'Unification Church solicitation suspicion' related to Kim Geon-hee. The Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor's Team (Min Jung-ki Special Prosecutor) investigated this suspicion before its launch at the Southern District Prosecutors' Office.
The Southern District Prosecutors' Office secured cash bundles worth 165 million won during a search and seizure of Mr. Jeon's home in December last year, of which 50 million won was new bills in cash bands. Cash bands are sealed currency supplied by the Bank of Korea to commercial banks, with the date of currency verification, responsible staff, and equipment used marked on the packaging, used for tracking the flow of funds.
The Southern District Prosecutors' Office realized the loss of the bands later but reportedly did not take any follow-up measures such as an investigation into the circumstances. The Southern District Prosecutors' Office stated that the employee lost the bands during the process of counting the cash.
At that time, Shin Eung-seok, the head of the Southern District Prosecutors' Office, had retired. Former Chief Prosecutor Shin served as the head of the Criminal Division 3 when former President Yoon Seok-yeol was the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and is considered a 'pro-Yoon prosecutor'.

jisseo@fnnews.com Seo Min-ji Reporter