March 18, 2020

South Korea's Supreme Prosecutor embroiled in family corruption scandals

Is Yoon Seok-yeol obstructing prosecution of Na Kyung-won?

눈치 (noon chi) tact; sense; wits. An ability to understand and know someone's mind or situation even though they have said nothing. Naver Korean-English Dictionary.


(Source- Hankyoreh "Hardboil" broadcast 3.15 citing MBS Straight 2.9) Conservative leader Na Kyung-won (center) and husband, Judge Kim Jae-ho, (left). Did the latter play an improper role in delaying the prosecution of a fraud trial related to Chief Prosecutor Yoon Seok-yeol's family?

The influence peddling, abuse of process, nepotism and payola surrounding Na Kyung-won and her daughter related to the Paralympic Korea organization subsidized by the South Korean Ministry of Sports and Culture has been the subject of multiple complaints with prosecution offices filed by a civic interest group. Na Kyung-won, former Libery Korea Party* Assembly floor leader, chaired the Paralympic organization. Her daughter was selected as a director and representative by the Paralympic organization as alleged by Ahn Jin-geol, head of the People's Livelihood Research Institute. There are the related improprieties of Na's daughter being admitted to college through the influence peddling emanating through the Paralympics organizing commmittee. A Paralympics production design contract was directed to the college instructor who was responsible for Na's daughter being admitted to college. Beyond this, Na, the Assembly floor leader of the opposition Liberty Korea Party* (LKP), along with party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn, led a number of unlawful disorderly obstructions of National Assembly proceedings in April 2019, and also earlier this year, related to special legislation including prosecutorial reform measures. These and fast track electoral reform measures were opposed by the LKP. Batteries were committed by the LKP at one point or another on other members of the Assembly and the Speaker of the Assembly. These incidents were referred for investigation and prosecution. None of these complaints has resulted in a single prosecution. It seems that among other right wing politicians, Na Kyung-won is above the law. Why is this?

*The right wing opposition Liberty Party Korea is now known at the Mirae Tonghap Dang, United Future Party.

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(Source- Hankyoreh "Hardboil" broadcast 3.15 ) Yoon Seok-yeol, appointed to the Supreme Prosecutor's Office in July 2019 by President Moon Jae-in.

A daily series of unprofessional leaks from the prosecution office after Yoon Seok-yeol's appointment as Supreme Prosecutor concerning the investigation of the family of the former Justice Minister Cho-guk, cause one to wonder whether Yoon is on the same page of music as the democratic party administration. While regarded as a "reformer" in the past leading to his appointments to high office by the democratic party administration, is this really the case? Yoon describes himself as "conservative." The purpose of his appointment was to advance prosecutorial reforms and "depoliticize" the prosecutor's offices nationwide.

Chief Prosecutor Yoon Seok-yeol's mother in law was implicated in multiple suspicious business transactions leading to criminal charges, in which only others were found guilty and imprisoned. The first case emerged in 2003. Ms. Choi and her business partner Mr. Cheong Dae Taek, sued each other after Choi failed to honor a contract obliging her to pay him approximately 2.5 billion won as his share of profits from their real estate investment. During the course of legal proceedings related to the first trial, Choi solicited false statements from a witness to bolster her defense. Large sums of money and an apartment in the name of her daughter Kim Gyeon-hee had been furnished to the perjuring witness. Mother in law Choi escaped punishment alleging her business partner, coerced Choi into entering in a fraudulent transaction. Cheong was sentenced to 2 years in prison as well as losing his money and reputation. Kim Gyeon-hee later married Yoon. Years later in August 2012, the perjuring witness who was terminally ill wrote an affidavit confessing his perjury induced by money paid by Choi, and her daughter's apartment provided in kind. Cheong brought another suit against Choi seeking her prosecution for fraud and perjury among other remedies. Cheong's lawsuit went nowhere and may be barred by the statute of limitations at this point. The litigation history is complex and is conflated with other lawsuits pending against Ms. Choi which will be barred by the statute of limitations at the end of this month.

Another fraudulent scenario evolved in a second case from 2013. In the later trial several forged bank certifications alleged Ms. Choi had millions in cash deposits (34.9 Billion won), far more than she did, in order to secure millions of dollars in loans for a large real estate purchase. The fraudulent bank certifications were fabricated by an employee of a corporation allegedly owned by Choi's second daughter, the wife of the current Supreme Prosecutor. In an additional wrinkle, Kim Gyeon-hee, prosecutor Yoon's wife, allegedly induced Choi's partner Ms. Ahn to turn over her interest in the land, now worth tens of millions of dollars, to a "family corporation." Na's husband, Kim Jae-ho, was the judge presiding over the retrial of the 2013 case which was delayed for a year and a half as a consequence of an order of transfer he entered. This may have brought the pending charges against Ms. Choi to naught as the seven year statute of limitations is about to lapse on March 30 in large part due to the delay. Na's "explanation" of the otherwise inexplicable delay, is that it was made on the defendants' motion, not her husband's instigation. It is alleged that it was an order to consolidate cases against Choi, which resulted in a transfer of the case out of his jurisdiction to that of another judge, so he is not responsible for the delay. Attorneys in various newscasts and other interested attorneys have rendered less charitable opinions to the effect that the lack of diligent prosecution of these fraudulent actions by Choi seem questionable.

Choi has alleged when questioned that she is an unsophisticated person having only a high school education, and not able to understand the legal documents she has signed. In the first case, she alleged she was coerced to sign a contract, and had no obligation to perform on the 2.5 billion won she owes her former partner Mr. Cheong, on the first transaction for which he was sentenced to prison for two years. In the later litigation, after daughter Kim formed a relationship with Yoon, it is alleged that Choi, used the family relationship with her politically powerful son-in-law as part of her confidence game to obtain credit in large business transactions. One of these included a prosecution case involving a hospital board and a "health care foundation" unlawfully established to wrest profits out of hospital reserve funds. Again she was determined to be not guilty, while others went to prison.


(Source- MBC "Straight" 3.09.20) Supreme Prosecutor Yoon Seok-cheol, with his wife, Kim Geon-hee.


At the time the forged bank certifications case against Choi was before Na's husband, Yoon was the director of the felony division at the Supreme Prosecutor's office. The allegation being made now by Ahn Jin-geol's public interest group is that Yoon could be exercising influence to protect Na Kyung-won as a quid pro quo for protection of his mother in law (and wife) in the previous business scandal. Ironically, these scandalous business affairs are not too different in nature from that seen in the Cho Guk family debacle doggedly pursued after Yoon was appointed Supreme Prosecutor as an anti-corruption reformer. The response of Yoon has been to deny these allegations of improper influence categorically. Na likewise denies allegations against her family as fake news without any explanation of the conclusions of independent investigations into irregularities surrounding the Paralympic organization she headed and her daughter's disputed academic achievements. The question really is why are none of the accusations and charges against Na being diligently pursued by prosecutors? According to Mr. Ahn's allegations, the dereliction of prosecutorial duties may be explained by corruption in the Supreme Prosecutor's office. Supreme Prosecutor Yoon's counter argument is that if these allegations are true, why don't the complainants sue me? Would these suits go any further than the eleven complaints already brought thus far by the public interest group against Representative Na? Is Supreme Prosecutor Yoon slow walking the prosecutions in order to allow the general elections April 15 determine his future course?

<b>법꾸라지- "Legal eel," 법률 과 미꾸라지, a new word formation reflecting the joinder of related persons, information and knowledge, conjoining legal power and skill in use against public order maneuvering like an eel to skillfully screen the persons involved and elude the punishment provided by law. </b> (original source in hangul, Naver Korean-Eng Dictionary)

An unrelated Ahn was Choi's partner in the 2013 land deal. Choi's first false bank certificate said she held 10 billion won in deposits. She actually signed four forged certificates totaling 34.9 billion won. Choi admitted the documents were false in court but claimed she was without knowledge of their significance. The evidence of forgery was so clear, the failure to prosecute her is inexplicable. In light of her experience eliciting millions in loans in business deals and millions more in profit, Choi's claim of ignorance seems unlikely. The "Straight" program investigative reporter alleged he found evidence of six similar transactions related to Choi. Ms. Ahn stated that Yoon's wife was part of the 2013 land deal, offered help to provide financing, and that they met multiple times. Kim Geon-hee denies the allegation saying they only met once, and they didn't discuss the real estate investment Ms. Ahn had entered with her mother Choi.

March 8, 2020

South Korea covid 19 update: Daegu Sincheonji cluster

(Source- Daegu MBC News, 03.08.20, youtube upload)

Here is another late report demonstrating evasion of public health measures by Sincheonji followers:

A cluster of 46 Shincheonji related covid 19 cases was discovered March 8, at the the Han Maeum Apartments in Daegu. Two thirds of cases were reported to be Sincheonji members. The members had been meeting in three separate places ten people at at a time, spreading the infection. Two of the Shincheonji persons were confirmed cases who violated health regulations by not following directions from health officials to quarantine themselves. 9 of the cluster cases had to be hospitalized. Others were moved to an intermediate care center for quarantine, observation and treatment. (Source is MBC News, 3/8/20) The Daegu authorities had given notice that any Sincheonji who haven't yet turned themselves in for examination by tomorrow will be prosecuted.


(Source- Daegu MBC News, 03.08.20, youtube upload)

Daegu public health officials announced that their investigation of Shincheonji members as potential carriers of the Covid 19 virus was "95 percent complete." For the time being the rate of increase in the number of Daegu area corona virus cases seems to be slowing as shown by the graphic above. But for the Sincheonji cluster at the Maeum Apartment complex, the increase in cases today would have been significantly lower.


(Source- YTN News O3.08.20 youtube upload )

So out of 7,134 cases at the start of the day 3.8, cases near the Shincheonji clusters in Daegu and Gyeongbukdo, are 5,381 and 1,081 respectively. This is 90 percent of all cases in South Korea. The cases officially determined to be connected to the cult, directly or indirectly at this point by public health authorities is said to be 63 percent.