By Choi Ha-young
Cheong Wa Dae destroyed 82 computer servers as well as 300 desktop computers and 15 laptops immediately after the National Assembly impeached President Park Geun-hye, Dec. 9, a ruling party lawmaker claimed Wednesday.
This act was apparently aimed at destroying evidence of the massive influence-peddling scandal which led to her impeachment, Rep. Back Hye-ryun of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said in a report by a local broadcaster.
Back claimed the presidential secretary office destroyed the desktop computers on Dec. 29, 2016. On the same day, the notebook computers and 22 servers were also destroyed.
This was only three days after the independent counsel team searched the homes of Park's chief of staff Kim Ki-choon and then-Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun. The team started its investigation in mid-December.
The computers were destroyed while Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn served as acting president in Park's absence.
On Feb. 3, the independent counsel team attempted to search her office but Hwang refused to cooperate with their request.
The presidential office destroyed yet more machines after Park was ousted March 10. On April 17, less than one month before President Moon Jae-in was elected, the office destroyed 60 computer servers. This was when Moon had a comfortable lead in the presidential race.
"It is plausible to see the destruction as an attempt to remove evidence prior to the power transition to the liberals," Rep. Back said.
Such mass destruction of computer servers within a few months is rare, the document obtained by Back shows. Before December 2016, this was done only one time, Nov. 27, 2014.
The remaining servers in Cheong Wa Dae were already reformatted when Moon took office May 10, making it impossible to figure out whether the data in the destroyed ones were properly backed up.
Previously in March, Rep. Back speculated Cheong Wa Dae may have destroyed documents, saying it bought 26 paper shredders between September 2016 and February 2017. September was when the influence-peddling scandal involving Park and her corrupt friend Choi Soon-sil surfaced.
Specifically, after Oct. 25, when JTBC first exposed the scandal, the presidential office purchased six more shredders. For the previous six months before September, the presidential office had not bought any, the lawmaker said.
The archiving of documents created during Park's presidential term has also been disputed. The administration archived 11.06 million documents. According to Presidential Archives, however, about half of the documents were actually pointless ― such as cafeteria menus and the management of cleaning equipment.
Cheong Wa Dae destroyed 82 computer servers as well as 300 desktop computers and 15 laptops immediately after the National Assembly impeached President Park Geun-hye, Dec. 9, a ruling party lawmaker claimed Wednesday.
This act was apparently aimed at destroying evidence of the massive influence-peddling scandal which led to her impeachment, Rep. Back Hye-ryun of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said in a report by a local broadcaster.
Back claimed the presidential secretary office destroyed the desktop computers on Dec. 29, 2016. On the same day, the notebook computers and 22 servers were also destroyed.
This was only three days after the independent counsel team searched the homes of Park's chief of staff Kim Ki-choon and then-Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun. The team started its investigation in mid-December.
The computers were destroyed while Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn served as acting president in Park's absence.
On Feb. 3, the independent counsel team attempted to search her office but Hwang refused to cooperate with their request.
The presidential office destroyed yet more machines after Park was ousted March 10. On April 17, less than one month before President Moon Jae-in was elected, the office destroyed 60 computer servers. This was when Moon had a comfortable lead in the presidential race.
"It is plausible to see the destruction as an attempt to remove evidence prior to the power transition to the liberals," Rep. Back said.
Such mass destruction of computer servers within a few months is rare, the document obtained by Back shows. Before December 2016, this was done only one time, Nov. 27, 2014.
The remaining servers in Cheong Wa Dae were already reformatted when Moon took office May 10, making it impossible to figure out whether the data in the destroyed ones were properly backed up.
Previously in March, Rep. Back speculated Cheong Wa Dae may have destroyed documents, saying it bought 26 paper shredders between September 2016 and February 2017. September was when the influence-peddling scandal involving Park and her corrupt friend Choi Soon-sil surfaced.
Specifically, after Oct. 25, when JTBC first exposed the scandal, the presidential office purchased six more shredders. For the previous six months before September, the presidential office had not bought any, the lawmaker said.
The archiving of documents created during Park's presidential term has also been disputed. The administration archived 11.06 million documents. According to Presidential Archives, however, about half of the documents were actually pointless ― such as cafeteria menus and the management of cleaning equipment.
