Permanent Special Prosecutor Team for Kwan Bong-kwon and Coupang Conducts Two Consecutive Days of Raids on Coupang

The Permanent Special Prosecutor Team for Kwan Bong-kwon and Coupang, led by Ahn Gwon-seob, carried out a compulsory investigation into Coupang for two consecutive days. The investigation aims to probe suspicions of external pressure related to the prosecution's non-indictment decision in the Coupang case.
On the morning of the 24th, the special prosecutor's team announced to the media that prosecutors and investigators were dispatched to Coupang's headquarters in Songpa-gu, Seoul, and to the CFS office, conducting search and seizure operations for the second day in a row. The charges applied to Coupang and related parties remain the same as those on the 23rd: violations of the Act on the Guarantee of Employees' Retirement Benefits (regarding unpaid retirement benefits) and Abuse of Authority and Obstruction of the Exercise of Rights (concerning alleged external pressure on the prosecution's non-indictment decision).
The special prosecutor's team also conducted a large-scale search and seizure at Coupang on the 23rd. Specifically, at approximately 10:10 a.m. on the 23rd, they executed warrants at the CFS office and Coupang's so-called 'Gangnam Office,' a secret location. At 1:30 p.m., they raided the residence of Eom Seong-hwan, former CEO of CFS, and at 2:20 p.m., they executed a warrant at Coupang's headquarters.
Coupang is suspected of having changed its employment rules in May 2023 to the disadvantage of workers, resulting in the withholding of payments with the nature of retirement benefits.
The Bucheon Branch Office of the Ministry of Employment and Labor referred the case to the prosecution in January with a recommendation for indictment, but the Bucheon Branch of Incheon District Prosecutors Office decided not to indict in April.
At the National Assembly inspection in October, Moon Ji-seok, the chief prosecutor in charge of the case, revealed that Eom Hee-jun, head of the Bucheon Branch, and Kim Dong-hee, deputy chief prosecutor, pressured him to issue a non-indictment decision. This ultimately led to the launch of the special prosecutor's investigation.
The special prosecutor's team summoned Prosecutor Moon as a witness for questioning on the 11th and 14th.

kyu0705@fnnews.com Kim Dong-gyu Reporter