"Delayed investigation" trial of Oh Dong-woon moves into full swing...denies charges, saying "We handled it carefully"

The Financial News reported that Oh Dong-woon, head of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), and former and current senior CIO officials, who were indicted on charges of obstructing an investigation in connection with alleged external pressure in the death of Marine Corporal Chae case, denied the charges at their first trial.
Criminal Division 23 of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Oh Se-yong, held the first trial date on the 22nd for CIO chief Oh, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Jaeseung, and former senior prosecutors Kim Sun-kyu, Song Changjin, and Park Seok-il, who were indicted on charges including abuse of authority, obstruction of the exercise of rights, and dereliction of duty.
Oh’s side explained the internal decision-making structure of the CIO and rejected the indictment filed by the Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Team led by Special Prosecutor Lee Myung-hyun. Oh’s attorney argued, "The lead prosecutor, the chief, and the deputy chief could theoretically have handled matters without the approval of the senior prosecutor, but that has never happened," adding, "If the lead prosecutor, the chief, and the deputy chief had proceeded without the senior prosecutor’s approval, that in itself could have constituted an abuse of authority."
The attorney continued, "If an investigation had been conducted while there was no senior prosecutor in place, it could have raised another issue regarding due process, so the case was handled carefully," and added, "We have tried to adhere as strictly as possible to lawful procedures, yet the indictment was brought based on a serious misunderstanding."
The other defendants also denied all charges. They argued that the special prosecutor’s statement of facts differs significantly from what actually happened and that the alleged offenses cannot be legally established.
The court explained that it will hold one more preparatory hearing on March 5 and then begin full-scale trial proceedings on April 2.
Oh, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee, and former senior prosecutor Park were brought to trial on charges of leaving the case unattended and failing to investigate even after receiving, in August 2024, a complaint accusing former senior prosecutor Song of perjury before the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea.
Former senior prosecutor Song is accused of giving false testimony when he appeared before the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly in July of the same year. At the time, he was acting deputy head of the CIO and allegedly stated, contrary to the facts, that he only later learned that Jongho Lee, former head of Black Pearl Investment, was implicated in lobbying allegations to secure leniency for former commander Lim Seong-geun of the 1st Marine Division of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps.
Former senior prosecutor Kim was indicted alongside former senior prosecutor Song on charges of obstructing the work of the investigative team that was probing allegations of external pressure on the investigation into the death of Marine Corporal Chae case, while the two were jointly serving as acting head and acting deputy head of the CIO.
theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo Reporter