Prosecutors have rejected claims that Prosecutor Park Sang-young orchestrated a major personnel shift to protect a colleague implicated in a massive North Korea remittance probe, labeling the allegations absurd due to a lack of direct evidence.
Allegations Surface in National Assembly
A Democratic Party lawmaker first raised the issue during a June 2024 National Assembly interpellation. He claimed that in January 2019, 30 prosecutors at the Ulsan District Prosecutors’ Office accepted a 30 million won bribe during a dinner. Subsequently, one prosecutor involved shifted to key public security roles at the Ulsan High Prosecutors’ Office.
Lawmaker Seo Young-gyo later identified Prosecutor Park as the figure behind the move. The lawmaker appeared on the YouTube channel ‘Kang Sung-beom TV,’ asserting that Park executed the personnel change to shield the colleague.
Lawsuits and Compensation Demands
Prosecutor Park responded by filing defamation suits, seeking 20 million won from the lawmaker and 10 million won each from the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office owner and the YouTube channel operator.
Review of 80,000 Pages Yields No Link
After examining 80,000 pages of investigative documents, prosecutors concluded the personnel adjustment stemmed from routine internal rotations at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office public security division. No evidence ties Park directly as the involved party.
Officials noted the shift occurred amid broader departmental changes, with Park absent from the scene. Other prosecutors recounted drinking sessions, including one where Park and colleagues consumed alcohol at an office after 9 p.m., joined by Prosecutor Hwang. However, these incidents do not connect to the scandal.
One account described Park becoming intoxicated, stumbling down stairs, and Prosecutor Hwang guiding him. Another mentioned Park returning for more drinks around 11 p.m. Prosecutors emphasized these events post-rotation and lack evidential weight.
YouTube Claims Under Scrutiny
The YouTube channel messaged the lawmaker, alleging Park threatened, ‘I’ll beat you up since we’re the same age.’ Prosecutors view this as lacking credibility amid ongoing investigations.
National Assembly Member’s Special Powers
Prosecutors acknowledge the lawmaker’s push to expose Park’s identity serves public interest but question labeling the personnel event as a scandal implicating him. YouTube comments demanded compensation, with phrases like ‘Where else would this happen?’ and ‘This is room destruction.’
Despite calls for factual verification, prosecutors maintain no basis for further pursuit, noting Park’s 2022 appointment as a senior foreign affairs prosecutor after the alleged incident.
