Prosecution begins probe of Park aide

‘Independent counsel should investigate Park’s aide’

By Yi Whan-woo

Yoon Gap-geun

The prosecution launched a special investigation into corruption allegations against Woo Byung-woo, the embattled senior civil affairs secretary for President Park Geun-hye, Tuesday.

It also began looking into to suspicions that Lee Seok-soo, a presidential inspector who conducted a preliminary investigation of Woo, leaked information to the media related to his findings.

“After considering various options, we concluded that a special investigation team will be ideal to investigate the two cases in a fair and objective manner,” the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office (SPO) said.

Yoon Gap-geun, chief of the Daegu High Prosecutors’ Office, was named to lead the investigation.

“I’ll first need to find out the nature and scope of the allegations in detail,” Yoon said after arriving in Seoul. “Of course, I’ll do my best.”

However, he admitted that he finds the job burdensome, citing that Woo has been one of the President’s trusted men and Cheong Wa Dae insisted on keeping him in place despite the series of accusations against him.

His comment came after growing calls to designate an independent counsel to look into Woo’s allegations.

Opposition parties and legal experts said only an independent counsel will be able to carry out an investigation into the embattled aide in a fair and impartial manner because prosecutorial investigations can be influenced by Woo.

Woo is a former senior prosecutor who can influence the top brass of the prosecution, including Prosecutor General Kim Soo-nam, they said.

For instance, Rep. Woo Sang-ho, floor leader of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK), speculated that allegations concerning Lee Seok-soo were brought up by Woo’s aides to discourage further investigation into the scandal-plagued presidential secretary.

Lee Seok-soo called for a formal investigation by the SPO last week after investigating Woo’s alleged embezzlement and abuse of authority.

“The best option for us will be pushing to designate an independent counsel,” the MPK floor leader said.

National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun will be required to ask the President to appoint an independent counsel within two days if a law seeking a special investigation takes effect under legislative approval. The President will need to request the Korean Bar Association, a private group of lawyers nationwide, recommend two candidates so she can pick one of them as an independent counsel.

Chung said appointing an independent counsel will be critical for the President, the government and rival parties to focus on pending issues. “The scandals related to Woo are paralyzing state affairs,” he added.

Minor opposition People’s Party floor leader Rep. Park Jie-won said, “There should be a separate investigation instead of having the SPO to oversee the probe.”

Meanwhile, the loyalists to the President and minor factional members in the Saenuri Party were divided over whether Woo should step down and an independent counsel should be named. Park’s loyalists interpreted any criticisms of Woo as attempts to disrupt the President’s job in her remaining term.

“It’s time for Woo to decide his future,” said Chung, who is seen as a nonmainstream party member. “It will be going against public sentiment for him to try to maintain his post.”

Rep. Kim Moo-sung, the party’s former chairman, agreed, saying, “Woo should no longer be a burden to the President.”

But Lee Jung-hyun, who served as the President’s chief press officer, kept mum over the issue although he stressed that “the truth must be found promptly and thoroughly.”

Woo has been suspected of using his wife’s company to dodge taxes and also understate his and his family’s assets, in violation of a law that requires high-ranking civil servants to fully disclose their wealth.

It is alleged that Woo peddled influence as well for his son to receive special treatment as a conscript police guard, while he is also accused of receiving favors from Jin Kyung-joon, a senior prosecutor mired in a major bribery scandal, in selling real estate belonging to his family.

Meanwhile, Cheong Wa Dae and rival parties all said the prosecution should look into allegations against Lee Seok-soo.

It is illegal for a presidential inspector to disclose information concerning an ongoing investigation. Any violators can be sentenced to up to five years in prison or suspended from their jobs for a maximum of five years.

Lee Seok-soo flatly denied the allegations, saying “I have never contacted the media and revealed something about the investigation.”

The President created Lee’s post in March 2015 to improve transparency and reduce corruption by monitoring and investigating possible irregularities by the President’s family and senior government officials.