Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Team to Summon CIO Chief Oh Dong-woon on the 31st... Suspected of Dereliction of Duty

[Financial News] The Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Team, led by Lee Myeong-hyeon, has decided to summon Oh Dong-woon, chief of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), as a suspect on charges of dereliction of duty on the 31st.
Jeong Min-young, assistant special prosecutor of the Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Team, announced at a regular briefing on the 28th, “Oh will be questioned regarding the dereliction of duty charges at 9:30 a.m. this Friday.”
On the same day, the Special Prosecutor Team began questioning Lee Jaeseung, deputy chief of the CIO, in the morning. Jeong explained, “We will investigate whether the case reported by the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee against former chief prosecutor Song Changjin was handled appropriately according to relevant laws, and what discussions took place internally within the CIO during the process.”
The Special Prosecutor Team believes that Oh Dong-woon, Lee Jaeseung, and former chief prosecutor Park Seok-il are responsible for failing to notify the Supreme Prosecutors' Office about the perjury accusation against Song Changjin, and is investigating them on suspicion of dereliction of duty.
They are accused of not reporting the perjury allegation against former chief prosecutor Song, which was filed in August last year, to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office for about a year. According to the CIO Act, the CIO chief is required to notify the Supreme Prosecutors' Office with relevant materials if a prosecutor under their jurisdiction is suspected of a crime.
The Special Prosecutor Team plans to question former chief prosecutor Song Changjin, who faces allegations of perjury and obstruction of investigation by the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, on the 29th, and former chief prosecutor Kim Sun-kyu on the 2nd of next month.
Oh Dong-woon, Lee Jaeseung, and Park Seok-il have been booked on suspicion of dereliction of duty, while Song Changjin is under investigation for perjury as well as abuse of power for allegedly obstructing the CIO’s investigation into the Chae Sang-byeong case. Kim Sun-kyu has also been booked on suspicion of abuse of power. The Special Prosecutor Team stated that “the allegations have been sufficiently substantiated” and will continue the investigation.
Regarding internal objections within the CIO to the disclosure of the summons schedule for senior officials, the Special Prosecutor Team maintained, “We are acting according to principle.” Jeong Min-young stated, “As we have done in the past, we are disclosing the schedule for major suspects or key parties. There are no plans to summon the CIO chief in private, so this disclosure is in line with our principle of public disclosure.”
Meanwhile, the perjury allegation against former chief prosecutor Song Changjin, which triggered the controversy, is currently under investigation by the Special Prosecutor Team. Song was accused of perjury in July last year at the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee regarding the lobbying allegations involving former 1st Marine Division commander Im Seong-geun and Lee Jong-ho, former head of Black Pearl Invest.
The Special Prosecutor Team also plans to further question Im Seong-geun, the former division commander who is currently in custody, on the 30th and 31st. During the previous day's questioning, Im did not exercise his right to remain silent and reportedly provided a statement regarding the charges of occupational negligence resulting in death or injury.
scottchoi15@fnnews.com Choi Eun-sol Reporter