Lee Hyo-sik is Finance Desk editor at The Korea Times. He manages finance-related stories on macroeconomics, banks, stocks, bonds, crypto etc. He is passionate about covering what's happening in Korea's financial industry and explaining it to both Korean and non-Korean readers. You can reach him at leehs@koreatimes.co.kr. Your insights and feedbacks are always appreciated.
Prosecutors banned from leaving country
By Lee Hyo-sik
An independent counsel investigating about 100 former and incumbent prosecutors and investigators suspected of receiving bribes and sexual entertainment from businessmen Friday banned 11 of them from leaving the country.
They include investigators at the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office and at the Gangneung District Prosecutors’Office, who were dined and entertained by a head of a mining firm in Gangneung, Gangwon Province.
Among them, an investigator, identified by only his surname Kim, is suspected of receiving money and sexual entertainment on multiple occasions from the CEO between 1999 and 2004. The CEO recently filed a complaint against Kim with the prosecution after “PD Notebook,” an investigative TV program, had reported the allegation in April, based on its interviews with him.
Independent counsel Min Kyung-sik is also considering prohibiting prosecutors, believed to have been entertained by a Busan-based construction firm owner, from leaving the country.
Meanwhile, Min went to Busan on Thursday, following the launch of the 67-member investigation squad, in order to talk to the 52-year old businessman, identified by his last name Chung, about the allegations he raised and bring him to Seoul for further questioning.
But Min failed to bring Chung back to Seoul because the businessman complained about physical difficulties after knee surgery.
But the special prosecution plans to head down to Busan again early next week to accompany Chung to its headquarters, given the fact that his testimonies and cooperation are the key to pushing forward its probe into “sponsored” prosecutors.
Chung has alleged that he had doled out 600,000-2 million won ($540-1,800) in cash to prosecutors in Busan on a monthly basis and covered all the expenses of their drinking bouts which often involved visiting prostitutes for about two decades.
Among the alleged beneficiaries were then senior prosecutor Park Gi-joon at the Busan Prosecutors’ Office and Han Seung-chul at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.
In June, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office reprimanded 10 prosecutors, including Park and Han, as proposed by a fact-finding committee.