58 Indicted, But 65% of Arrest Warrants Denied and Cases Left Unsolved

[Anchor]

The 2nd Comprehensive Independent Counsel, which has been investigating remaining allegations following the three major independent counsels, has wrapped up its six-month investigation. While it uncovered new suspicions and brought a total of 58 people to trial, the rate of dismissed arrest warrants reached 65% during the investigation. Furthermore, major cases were handed over to the police without reaching conclusions, drawing growing criticism over a lack of investigative capability.

First, we have a report from Shin Yong-il.

[Reporter]

Concluding its six-month investigation, the Comprehensive Independent Counsel has handed over a total of 58 people to trial, including former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his spouse.

[Kwon Chang-young / Comprehensive Independent Counsel: "If the results of the Comprehensive Independent Counsel team's investigation can even slightly quench the public's burning thirst for upholding the constitutional order and their craving for justice, I will consider it a great honor."]

Uncovering some of the suspicions that the previous three independent counsels failed to resolve is an achievement.

Regarding suspicions surrounding the relocation of the presidential residence, former Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Dae-ki and former Board of Audit and Inspection Secretary-General Yoo Byung-ho were indicted and detained.

Kim Tae-hyo, former 1st Deputy Director of the National Security Office—who conveyed the logic of "justifying martial law" to friendly nations at the instruction of former President Yoon Suk Yeol—was also detained, and related individuals were brought to trial.

However, statements regarding the so-called "Noh Sang-won notebook" suspicions could not be secured, and suspicions involving former Minister Won Hee-ryong, pointed to as the "higher-up" in the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway controversy, were not clarified.

Regarding suspicions of interference in the investigation of Ssangbangwool's unauthorized remittances to North Korea—which had been heralded with a massive probe as a "mega-sized state affairs manipulation case"—the court put the brakes on it, stating that it "did not fall within the scope of the independent counsel's investigation."

[Kwon Chang-young / Comprehensive Independent Counsel: "We had our warrants rejected twice by the court. It is unfortunate, but we inevitably had no choice but to drop it."]

Cases left unresolved and handed back over to the police amount to 46.

Investigating for 180 days by extending the period twice for 30 days and even changing the law to extend it once more, with a dispatched personnel count of 251.

Despite being such a mega-sized independent counsel, it failed to clarify most of the remaining suspicions from the previous three independent counsels.

The arrest warrant dismissal rate reached 64%, with the court mostly determining that explanations of the charges were insufficient.

This is why criticism regarding a lack of investigative capability is difficult to avoid.

Concerns are also raised that proving the charges will not be easy, as most of the nearly 40 defendants massively indicted toward the end of the investigation completely deny the charges, and there are plans to separately hire dedicated trial lawyers to maintain the indictments moving forward.

(Photo: Yang Hyun-chul, Video Editing: Kim Jong-tae, Design: Lee Jae-jun)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.