The Ministry of Justice has secured a statement consistent with the claim of "salmon and alcohol party" by Lee Hwa-young, former vice governor of peace in Gyeonggi Province. As circumstantial evidence was confirmed that alcohol and food were provided during the prosecution's investigation, Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho ordered the launch of an inspection. The Ministry of Justice plans to consider filing a complaint if it is confirmed to be true.
The Ministry of Justice said on the 17th that it confirmed the circumstances that "the suspects of illegal remittance to North Korea, including former Chairman Kim Sung-tae and former lieutenant governor Lee, and prosecutor Park Sang-yong had salmon meals and drinks in the video recording room in Prosecutor Room 1313, Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, on May 17, 2023." In addition, to confirm the suspicions raised by the former lieutenant governor, we analyzed the attendance log from July and investigated the correctional officer at the time. △ In the prosecution's investigation, former chairman Kim's external lunch boxes and food he wanted were brought in several times, and that accomplices such as Kim and former lieutenant governor Lee gathered and talked from time to time in the video recording room and warehouse space, and △ Suspicions that the employee of Ssangbangwool was present at Prosecutor Room 1313 of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office and that Kim was taken care of.
The Ministry of Justice said, "There is a possibility that the cost of purchasing external lunch boxes was calculated from double drops when investigating accomplices such as former deputy governor Lee and chairman Kim," adding, "There is a possibility that the related regulations were violated during the investigation process, such as allowing inappropriate contact between the criminals."
In response to former lieutenant governor Lee's claim, the prosecution refuted in April last year, saying, "Drinking is impossible because alcohol has not been brought into the prosecution office," and added, "There is no fact that Ssangbangwool officials brought in food." Prosecutor Park also said in a statement released on the day, "The announcement by the Ministry of Justice not only goes against the Supreme Court's final ruling that the suspicion (salmon and drinking party) is groundless, but also follows the claims of the defendant and his lawyer," and added, "It is only interpreted as an intention to have an unfair influence on the ongoing trial." In June last year, he also said in the prosecution's internal network that "there is no fact of conciliation or manipulation of the truth, and it is not possible in the prosecution system."
Reporter Park Ho-hyun ([email protected] )
“As in the case of Kim Hak-eui and in other incidents as well, once again the prosecution has been consistent in its lies.
Is there any citizen who can truly believe that they are properly enforcing the law of our country?
They are already a criminal group, and they seem to do nothing other than fabricate and distort cases.”