▲ Lawyer Seo Min-seok (center) and Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Jeon Yong-ki (left)
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) has launched a full-scale investigation into allegations of perjury by Prosecutor Park Sang-yong, who was in charge of the Ssangbangwool illegal remittance to North Korea case.
The CIO summoned Lawyer Seo Min-seok as a reference witness on the afternoon of July 23.
Lawyer Seo, who previously represented former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor for Peace Lee Hwa-young in the Ssangbangwool remittance case, had earlier released a phone recording with Prosecutor Park and claimed that the prosecution had coerced testimonies at the time.
Before attending the CIO, Lawyer Seo held a press conference at the National Assembly, stating, "We must not claim that the prosecution's investigation at the time was entirely justified simply on the grounds that former Vice Governor Lee was recently convicted of perjury related to the drinking party allegations."
He added, "What is more important than whether or not a salmon and alcohol party took place in this case is whether or not the prosecution actually coerced fabricated testimonies."
Lawyer Seo also stated that he plans to file a countersuit in response to the 100 million won damages lawsuit filed against him by Prosecutor Park.
The recording released by Lawyer Seo last April contains remarks by Prosecutor Park stating, "If there is a confession where Lee Jae-myung becomes the main culprit and this person (former Vice Governor Lee) becomes an accomplice, we can try things like granting public whistleblower status."
Prosecutor Park countered that Lawyer Seo had first suggested applying accomplice charges, and that he, as a prosecutor, rejected it while explaining general conditions for leniency.
The National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee filed a complaint against Prosecutor Park with the CIO last April under the Act on Testimony and Appraisal before the National Assembly for denying the allegations of testimony coercion during a parliamentary audit and a legislative hearing on prosecution reform.
(Photo provided by lawmaker Jeon Yong-ki's office, Yonhap News)
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