Former Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung appeared before the special prosecution on September 21st to face allegations of his involvement in the December 3rd martial law proclamation. He is suspected of attempting to dispatch prosecutors to the Joint Investigation Headquarters on the day of the proclamation. Furthermore, he is accused of granting preferential treatment to President Yoon Suk Yeol by dropping the appeal against a Seoul Central District Court decision to revoke Yoon's arrest warrant. The article demands a thorough investigation into the prosecution's role in the attempted rebellion and its subsequent handling of the case.
Evidence of Prosecution's Complicity
The article points to several pieces of evidence that suggest the prosecution's involvement. Reports claim that then-Defense Security Commander Yeo In-hyeong told Commander Jung Seong-woo that "prosecutors and the National Intelligence Service will be coming to the National Election Commission," a statement that was reportedly documented in a memo. The article also highlights a series of urgent phone calls between then-Minister of Justice Park Sung-jae, Shim Woo-jung, and high-ranking officials from both the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the Defense Security Command.
On the night of the martial law proclamation, around 11:30 PM, Minister Park reportedly instructed the prosecution to consider dispatching prosecutors to the Joint Investigation Headquarters. He had three phone calls with Shim before and after this meeting. Just 12 minutes after their last call, at 12:25 AM on December 4th, a senior official from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's forensic science department was found to have called a colonel in the Defense Security Command. The Democratic Party has stated it received a tip-off that two prosecutors from the forensic science department were actually dispatched to the Gwacheon National Election Commission that morning.
Allegations of a Cover-up
The article further alleges that the prosecution, led by then-Seoul High Prosecutor General Park Se-hyeon, attempted to cover up its involvement. The prosecution's special investigation headquarters reportedly concealed the word "prosecution" by referring to the group as a "civilian professional analysis team" in the indictment against Yoon Suk Yeol and failed to investigate related matters. The prosecution dismissed the early morning phone calls between Supreme Prosecutors' Office officials and the Defense Security Command as "casual greetings" and denied the claims of prosecutors being dispatched to the National Election Commission.
Preferential Treatment for President Yoon
Shim's decision to drop the appeal against the revocation of Yoon's arrest warrant is a key focus of the investigation. The Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 25, led by Judge Ji Gwi-yeon, calculated the detention period by the hour instead of by the day, in violation of the Criminal Procedure Act. Despite this, Shim chose not to appeal, leading to Yoon's release. Subsequently, Shim instructed other prosecution offices to calculate the detention period by the day, effectively admitting this was a special favor for Yoon alone.
The article concludes that Shim Woo-jung is ultimately responsible for the destruction of the prosecution's integrity. His submissive actions, such as the dismissal of charges against Kim Keon-hee in the brand-name bag and Deutsch Motors stock manipulation cases, effectively surrendered the prosecution to the former president and his wife. The article concludes that beyond legal consequences, his actions will be remembered as a disgrace to the prosecution's history.
[Copyright (c) Global Economic Times. All Rights Reserved.]
