Special Prosecutor Indicts 58, Including Yoon and Kim, but Key Cases End Inconclusively

The special prosecutor's team investigating alleged state subversion and corruption involving former President Yoon Suk-yeol and first lady Kim Keon-hee has concluded its 180-day probe, indicting a total of 58 individuals. The investigation, which covered remaining suspicions from previous special counsel probes, achieved some success in clarifying certain allegations but drew criticism for failing to resolve core issues.

The team indicted Yoon, Kim, and other high-profile figures on charges including directing messages to justify a state of emergency and suppressing audits related to the presidential residence's relocation. Significant progress was reported in investigating allegations concerning Kim's involvement in the presidential residence's construction and the alleged cover-up of the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation probe. The investigation identified instances where former prosecutors allegedly shared information with Kim's defense team, leading to the indictment of five current and former prosecutors.

However, the probe faced criticism for its inconclusive ending on several major cases. The investigation into alleged rebellion planning, based on a former intelligence officer's diary, was transferred to the National Investigation Headquarters, citing the need for extensive investigation due to the refusal of key suspects to testify. Similarly, the probe into alleged intervention in the Ssangbangul foreign currency remittance investigation, initially framed as a major state subversion case, was also transferred after the team failed to obtain case records and had search warrant requests denied.

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There are too many items to investigate, and we could not confirm the full picture within the remaining time, so we transferred the cases with tears in our eyes.

Further complicating matters, the special prosecutor's findings conflicted with those of a previous rebellion investigation team. The current team indicted former NIS official Hong Jang-won and former Capital Defense Command officer Cho Seong-hyun on rebellion charges, despite their previous clearance. This divergence raises concerns that defendants in related cases, including Yoon and military leaders, may challenge the credibility of these witnesses-turned-defendants, potentially impacting future legal battles.

To ensure the continuation of legal proceedings, the special prosecutor's team plans to reassign a minimal number of personnel for prosecution support. They also advocate for amending the special prosecutor law to allow for the additional hiring of experienced lawyers as special investigators, aiming to secure the necessary expertise for effective prosecution.

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The investigation into the alleged intervention in the Ssangbangul foreign currency remittance probe was transferred to the National Investigation Headquarters.