Special Prosecutor Chooses 'Extension of Investigation Period' Amidst Extensive Allegations... Will Results Be Achieved Before Chuseok [Legal Insight]

[Financial News] The three major special prosecutor teams are entering a phase of either deciding on or contemplating an extension of the investigation period as the basic investigation period is about to expire. Despite deploying a large workforce, the investigation scope is so vast that extending the period is deemed inevitable. Since many past special prosecutors have also extended their periods, the burden of excessive investigation is not significant, but discussions on increasing personnel to achieve results before the Chuseok holiday are expected to continue.
According to the legal community on the 24th, the Chae Sang-byeong special prosecutor team (Lee Myung-hyun special prosecutor) has decided to extend the basic investigation period, which ends on the 30th, by about a month. The other two special prosecutor teams also have about a month left until the end of their basic investigation periods. The special prosecutor team has achieved results in clarifying key suspicions, including the death of Private Chae, allegations of investigation pressure from the Presidential Office, lobbying for the rescue of former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Lim Seong-geun, and the controversy over the appointment and escape of former Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop as ambassador to Australia.
The special prosecutor team has completed a significant portion of the investigation into the responsibility for the charges of occupational negligence causing death against the commanders at the time of Private Chae's death. They have also secured testimonies related to former President Yoon Seok-yeol's 'rage theory' after receiving the initial investigation results from the Marine Corps investigation team, but are still confirming whether there were specific instructions to exclude suspects such as former Division Commander Lim and whether there was any influence on the process of case retrieval and re-transfer.
The special prosecutor team has identified abnormal procedures in the appointment process of former Minister Lee as ambassador to Australia, but believes that additional investigation of key parties and analysis of seized materials are necessary. The suspicion of 'rescue lobbying' mentioned as a cause of former President Yoon's rage, the National Human Rights Commission's dismissal of the emergency relief case of Park Jeong-hoon, the head of the Marine Corps investigation team, and the substantial amount of investigation into the suspicion of investigation pressure by the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (Gongsoocho) remain.
The special prosecutor team for rebellion and foreign exchange (Cho Eun-seok special prosecutor) is speeding up the rebellion investigation, including preparing to request an arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Han Deok-soo on charges of abetting martial law. Although they achieved the result of securing the custody of major cabinet members with the arrest of former President Yoon and former Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Sang-min, the suspicion of inducing foreign exchange to gain justification for martial law remains a task. The special prosecutor team is expected to continue additional investigations, as it is calling in former Army Intelligence Commander Ro Sang-won on the 23rd and 24th to investigate the suspicion of North Wind and the circumstances of drone deployment.
The Kim Geon-hee special prosecutor team (Min Joong-gi special prosecutor) is confirming the suspicion of Unification Church solicitation and whether expensive gifts were delivered after the arrest of 'Geonjin Beopsa' Jeon Seong-bae on the 21st. The special prosecutor team is also conducting investigations into various suspicions, including the search and seizure of the Yangpyeong Expressway preferential treatment suspicion, but except for the stock manipulation case that has been prosecuted, many major suspicions, such as the involvement of Kim and political broker Myung Tae-gyun in nominations and elections, preferential treatment for specific companies during the relocation of the official residence, sponsorship of Cobana Contents, and the butler gate, remain at the investigation stage.
Ultimately, all three special prosecutor teams have achieved some initial results, but they share the common task of needing further investigation of key parties and proof of facts. As there have been many cases of extending investigation periods, such as the recently concluded Air Force sexual violence victim, the late Sergeant Lee Ye-ram, and the Samsung slush fund special prosecutor team, extension is seen as a natural step. However, there is also the consideration of the political burden that may arise from extending the investigation period. In 2017, the extension of the special prosecutor for the state affairs manipulation case was denied by then-acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn, and the Druking special prosecutor ended without extension.
Currently, as the political landscape between the ruling and opposition parties has changed, the possibility of denying an extension is low, but if the period is extended ahead of next year's local elections, there is a possibility of controversy over 'political investigation'. Therefore, the ruling party is also discussing a plan to expand personnel through the revision of the special prosecutor law instead of extending the investigation period. As the discussions on the necessity of securing time through extension and the need for a speed battle through personnel expansion in the political sphere intertwine, the direction of the investigation is expected to be determined around Chuseok.
 



scottchoi15@fnnews.com Choi Eun-sol Reporter