Special Prosecutor Replaces Investigator Over Conflict of Interest in North Korea Remittance Case

The special prosecutor's team investigating the remaining cases from the "Choi Soon-sil gate" scandal has replaced an investigator involved in the Ssangbangul North Korea remittance case due to a conflict of interest. Kwon Young-bin, who was in charge of investigating allegations of 진술회유 (jinsul-hoiyu - influencing testimony) in the Ssangbangul case, has been replaced by Kim Chi-heon. This move comes after it was revealed that Kwon had previously represented key witnesses in the case, including Lee Hwa-young, former Vice Governor of Gyeonggi Province, and Bang Yong-cheol, former Vice Chairman of Ssangbangul.

The controversy arose because Kwon's past legal representation of these individuals could potentially compromise the impartiality of the investigation. The special prosecutor's office stated that while Kwon's previous work on these cases was unrelated to the current investigation, the replacement was a necessary measure to preemptively address any concerns about fairness that might emerge during the proceedings. This decision reflects a commitment to maintaining the integrity of the investigation, especially given the high-profile nature of the Ssangbangul case and its alleged links to political influence.

Kwon, a lawyer by profession, had represented Lee Hwa-young in a political fund law violation case between 2012 and 2014. Subsequently, through Lee's introduction, Kwon also represented Bang Yong-cheol in an embezzlement case between 2022 and 2023. During this period, Bang was accused of providing company corporate cards and political funds to Lee. While Bang initially claimed in a prosecution investigation that he provided these to Lee's associates, he later changed his testimony in court. Allegations surfaced that Kwon was involved in a process where Bang discussed his testimony regarding the recipients of the corporate cards with Lee.

The special prosecutor's team had previously attempted to refute these allegations, stating that Kwon had left the room after consulting with Bang, and that Lee and Bang had discussed their testimonies thereafter. They also noted that Kwon was dismissed by Bang in early 2023, after Kim Sung-tae, the chairman of Ssangbangul, was repatriated to South Korea. Despite these counterarguments, the decision to replace Kwon underscores the sensitivity surrounding potential conflicts of interest in high-stakes investigations, particularly those with political ramifications in South Korea.