Special Prosecutor Team for Insurrection and Treason Raids Special Prosecutor's Team for Kim Keon-hee, Special Prosecutor for the Chae Soogeun Case, and Supreme Prosecutors' Office Over Alleged Dispatch of Prosecutor Park Sung-jae

The Special Prosecutor Team for Insurrection and Treason, led by Cho Eun-seok, has launched a compulsory investigation into the Special Prosecutor's Team for Kim Kun-hee (headed by Min Joong-ki), the Special Prosecutor for the Chae Soogeun Case (headed by Lee Myeong-hyeon), and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office as part of its probe into former Minister of Justice Park Sung-jae’s alleged involvement in the December 3 martial law. The Special Prosecutor's Team for Kim Kun-hee was raided on the 24th, while the Special Prosecutor for the Chae Soogeun Case and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office were searched on the same day. Assistant Special Prosecutor Park Ji-young announced this during a regular press briefing at the Seoul High Public Prosecutors' Office on the afternoon of the 25th.
Former Minister Park is suspected of instructing Ministry of Justice officials to consider dispatching prosecutors to the Joint Investigation Headquarters following the declaration of martial law by former President Yoon Suk Yeol on December 3 last year. The special prosecutor team has named Park as a suspect for involvement in major insurrection duties and is currently investigating him. In this context, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office was also raided last August.
When asked by reporters whether a third arrest warrant would be sought for former Minister Park, Assistant Special Prosecutor Park Ji-young stated, "This will depend on the nature of the materials secured," adding, "The search and seizure is not being conducted for the purpose of requesting a warrant, but rather to clarify the facts and uncover the truth."
The special prosecutor team also executed a search and seizure warrant on the Special Prosecutor's Team for Kim Kun-hee on the 24th in connection with the allegations. It is reported that the team secured Kim Keon-hee's mobile phone and other items during the raid.
Assistant Special Prosecutor Park Ji-young explained, "It is difficult to specify the exact charges, but there is a possibility that Ms. Kim is connected to the motives behind the martial law." He added, "Among the various motives that led former President Yoon to commit insurrection, it cannot be completely ruled out that the Special Prosecutor Act for Kim Keon-hee played a part." He further clarified, "However, it would be inaccurate to say that Ms. Kim herself was directly involved in the martial law. We are examining the connection between former Minister Park and the motives for martial law, not direct involvement. If we refer to involvement, it could be interpreted as preparation or conspiracy for martial law, which does not seem to be the case here."

[email protected] Kim Dong-gyu Reporter