Seoul, South Korea — The South Korean Ministry of Justice has decided to initiate a Special Prosecutor's investigation into two high-profile allegations: the suspected concealment of evidence involving "sealed cash bundles" at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, and alleged external pressure in the non-indictment of Coupang in a case concerning severance pay for temporary workers. Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho's decision, announced on October 24, marks only the second time a Permanent Special Prosecutor has been mobilized since the system’s introduction in 2014, underscoring the severity and public distrust surrounding the cases, both of which involve internal misconduct within the prosecution service.
The appointment of an independent prosecutor is seen as a necessary measure to restore public faith, which has been severely eroded by the prosecution’s handling of both matters.
The 'Sealed Cash Bundles' Controversy
The first case centers on the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office’s handling of evidence seized during a raid in December of the previous year at the residence of Jeon Sung-bae, a figure associated with the "Geonjin Monk" controversy and a key individual in the ongoing investigation into the alleged abuse of state power by Kim Keon-hee.
Prosecutors seized 165 million won ($120,000 USD) in cash, including 50 million won in new, sealed banknotes. Crucially, the prosecution allegedly destroyed the band and sticker surrounding the sealed bundles (known as gwanbonggwon or sealed currency), which typically contain vital information like the inspection date and the bank personnel responsible. This evidence is essential for tracing the cash's origin.
While the Supreme Prosecutors' Office’s own inspection concluded the destruction was a "practical error" by a working-level official with no superior order or intention to conceal evidence, the public remains unconvinced. The non-conventional act of removing the seals to count the cash and then disposing of these crucial evidentiary markers—which effectively destroyed the evidence's original form—has led to persistent suspicions of intentional evidence tampering, especially given the political sensitivity of the individuals involved.
Allegations of Extortion in the Coupang Case
The second investigation involves serious allegations of external pressure to drop charges against e-commerce giant Coupang. This came to light through the parliamentary testimony of Moon Ji-seok, a senior prosecutor now serving at the Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office.
Moon testified before the National Assembly that Um Hee-jun, the Chief Prosecutor of the Bucheon Branch, and Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Dong-hee pressured him to issue a non-indictment decision against Coupang concerning the alleged non-payment of severance for its daily contract workers. Moon's testimony included specific claims of pre-raid information leaks to Coupang, the deliberate omission of critical search results in reports to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, which ultimately led to the non-indictment, and suspicions of collusion between Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim and Coupang’s legal counsel. If true, these acts constitute a grave manipulation of judicial process and indictment.
Expanding Scope to Include Ministry of Justice Interference
The Special Prosecutor’s mandate is expected to broaden further due to a related scandal concerning allegations of interference by former Justice Minister Park Seong-jae in the investigation of former Presidential Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Hong Cheol-ho, who faced charges of violating the Public Official Election Act.
A recording, made public by Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min, reportedly captures Chief Prosecutor Um Hee-jun in a conversation with Prosecutor Moon Ji-seok on May 29. Um allegedly said, "You know how much the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office were making a fuss at the time. Former Minister Park Seong-jae was cursing at the Director of the Prosecution Bureau, saying he sent the wrong Chief Prosecutor to Bucheon," referring to the Hong Cheol-ho investigation. Um implied he had personally protected the investigation team from this political pressure.
The Permanent Special Prosecutor must now thoroughly investigate these comments to determine the truth behind the alleged pressure exerted by the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office during the investigation of a politically influential figure.
Call for Thorough Investigation and Severe Punishment
The establishment of the Permanent Special Prosecutor to investigate two cases centered on alleged prosecutorial misconduct demonstrates the depth of the crisis facing South Korea’s legal system. Given the nature of the allegations—evidence destruction in a high-profile political case and external pressure in a major corporate investigation—the Special Prosecutor is urged to conduct a comprehensive and unsparing investigation. The integrity of the justice system demands that the full truth of both the "sealed cash bundles" and the "Coupang external pressure" cases be definitively established, and that all individuals found responsible, regardless of rank or political affiliation, face the full extent of the law.
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