Instigating Charges Affair in South Korea

[soryang]

Follow up to our September 4 report: "Will the legal dam break on Yoon Seok-yeol's presidential campaign?"
https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2021/09/will-legal-dam-break-on-yoon-seok-yeols.html


(Source- MBC Newsdesk 9.15.21, youtube '고발 사주' 의혹, 대검도 수사 착수‥공수처와 투트랙 ) Choi Gang-wook and Hwang Hwi-suk, National Assembly Members from the Open Democratic Party deliver their charges against (presidential candidate) Yoon Seok-yeol, his wife Kim Gon-hee, Prosecutor Han Dong-hun, PPP National Assembly member Kim Woong, Prosecutor Son Chun-seong, and Chung Jeom-sik, UFP Legal Support Group Chief, and an unamed party. Charges include interference in elections, violation of the public election law, leaking confidential government information, abuse of powers of public office, and violations of the private information protection law.


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(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 9.17.21 youtube 추장군, 충격 폭로!! "조국, 추미애 해임 건의한 사람은 이낙연..." etc.) This particular document pictured here was probably created in support of the democratic charge sheets filed by the victims. The video didn't identify the source clearly but posted this in the background while speaking on a collateral topic (former Justice Minister Chu Mi-ae's disgust with her rival Lee Nak-won, who is also running in the democratic primary race for that party's presidential candidacy.) The document outlines a series of alleged communications laying out the alleged actors in a scheme by which public prosecutors in the Supreme Prosecutor's office arranged to distribute charges they had prepared for conservative party members to bring third party private lawsuits against political critics of the Public Prosecutors offices, proponents of legal reforms on the left, and certain critical reporters. The criminal complaints were prepared against democrats and transmitted to the conservative party during the election campaign cycle in April 2020 for them to file as private complainants.

The alleged parties involved in these communications are from the top, prosecutors Han Dong-hun and Son Chun-seong; then between Son and the representative of the Supreme Prosecutor's office at the time, Kwan Soon-jeong on April 2. At that time it is alleged that Han also spoke to Prosecutor General Yoon on the phone 17 times; Below that it says on April 1, 2020, Han, Kwan, and Son transmitted and received 45 messages in an exclusive chat room. The same day Han spoke to Yoon by phone 12 times. Previously on March 31, 2020, after the MBC investigative report on unlawful prosecution-press collusion to facilitate politically motivated prosecutions ( 검언유착 ), Han, Son, and Kwan exchanged 53 messages on KaKao talk chat message service. Han then spoke to Yoon 11 times by phone.


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(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 9.17.21 youtube ) This is an early schematic of the alleged process in the preparation and transmission of charges by the Public Prosecutors' Offices to third parties for unlawful private and political purposes. Prosecutor Son (2nd from left) in the Supreme Prosecutor's Investigative Information Policy Office, prepares the charges and transmits them to UFP (now PPP) party candidate for National Assembly, Kim Woong (pictured center right). The graphic then shows party member Kim transferring the charge sheets and related documents to an unidentified informant (far right). This may have been United Future Party staff employee Cho Seong-eun, the informant, or another informant. Cho was privy to the document transfers in digital formats, one of which is identified as "Telegram." Prosecutor Son's name appears on at least one charge sheet. He denies all the allegations. Did then Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, (far left in the graphic) instruct his subordinate prosecutor Son to do this? Yoon claims the entire story is a fabrication made up by his political enemies.

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(Source- 언론 알아야 바꾼다 9.17.21 youtube ) This wire diagram depicts the offices public and private allegedly involved in the scheme by prosecutors to have political charges brought by United Future Party figures against democratic party politicians and reporters, basically in retaliation for their efforts to expose corruption in prosecution cases, and advocate legal reforms adjusting investigative powers of the prosecution. On the left side the top box is Yoon Seok-yeol, Prosecutor General/Supreme Prosecutor. Lower left highlighted is the Director of Public Investigations Office, which by highlighting suggests communication with the Investigation Information Policy Office, prosecutor Son Chun-seong (center). Son is alleged to have transmitted the charges and other confidential documentation to Kim Woong, former prosecutor and then National Assembly candidate (top right). In this depiction Kim (possibly ?) transmits the charge sheets and supporting documentation from the prosecutors' offices to Chung Jeom-sik, United Future Party Legal Support Group Chief (bottom right).



(Source- MBC Newsdesk 9.15.21, youtube '고발 사주' 의혹, 대검도 수사 착수‥공수처와 투트랙 ) The informant broke the story to independent digital news source Newsverse. This is former UFP staff employee Cho Seong-eun. She is a source of information and documents supporting the charges brought by the victims of this scheme. She is protected from prosecution by South Korea's public whistle blowers law. She has turned over her digital phone to authorities for forensic evaluation. The case is being investigated by the current Prosecutor General's Office and the new independent Office to Investigate Crimes by High Public Officials, in a "two track" investigation.

https://civilizationdiscontents.blogspot.com/2021/09/privatizing-public-prosecution-affair.html

[peppertree]

1. Weaponizing the judiciary has become part of politics in much of the world these days, sadly.

Except for his not being rude or crude, this man Yoon sounds like one of the closest things Korea has had to Cheeto - at least since democracy was restored there.

Thank you for the intriguing update, soryang. I hope South Korea's voters see though it all.

[soryang]

2. Yoon Seok-yeol is a character study, that's for sure

Someone else mentioned to me the similarity to Lula's experience in Brazil.

Yoon is a lot like Trump, and his followers are like Trump followers. Fortunately, this publicity is hurting Yoon, and he has fallen behind Hong Chun-pyo in the conservative primary polls. In my opinion Yoon should have been impeached while still Prosecutor General. Yoon is also getting a reputation for a "gaffe a day," like Trump.

Lee Jae-myung, the currently leading candidate in the democratic party for president, had to get through lengthy criminal litigation to remain qualified to run for president. He wasn't entirely acquitted until he got to third trial review level. Cho Guk, the former Minister of Justice, and his spouse, are imo, being prosecuted at Yoon's behest because of his political popularity and because he was the architect of the measures to reform the administration of justice in South Korea. There is simply too much unchecked power in the centralized prosecutors offices in South Korea. There a is patronage system running from the industrial centers of power, through the conservative media, and major law firms, penetrating the judiciary and prosecutors offices throughout the country. A lot of progress has been since the democrats achieved a filibuster proof majority in the National Assembly in April 2020. In spite of this I think members of the National Assembly and Judiciary were intimidated by Yoon, who, without probable cause, investigates officials (and their family members) who may oppose his network.

It is well known that former Prime Minister Han Myung-sook was sent to prison with perjured testimony for two years for financial crimes she didn't commit. The former three time Mayor of Seoul, Park Won-soon, was improperly referred for criminal investigation on the basis of false sexual harassment and rape allegations. He committed suicide as a consequence. I had thought he would become president. It is well known that the prosecution of former democratic cabinet member and foundation director Yoo Shi-min, was framed by prosecutors in almost the exact same way as Han Myung-sook. The exposure of the conspiracy in the media seems to have thwarted that prosecution which was probably just based on Yoon's personal resentment.

The project of implementing South Korea's legal reforms is just beginning.