Independent Counsel Seeks One-Year Prison Term for Corruption Investigation Office Chief Oh Dong-woon on 'Protecting One's Own' Charges

Independent Counsel Oh Dong-woon of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO), who was put on trial for neglecting a complaint filed against a senior prosecutor within the agency for nearly a year, is facing a recommended one-year prison sentence.

During the sentencing hearing held today (November 5) before the 23rd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Oh Se-yong), the Independent Counsel team led by Special Prosecutor Lee Myung-hyun asked the court to hand down the one-year prison term for Chief Oh.

CIO Deputy Chief Lee Jae-seung and former Senior Prosecutor Park Seok-il, who were indicted on the same charges, were also each recommended for a one-year prison term.

Former Senior Prosecutors Song Chang-jin and Kim Sun-gyu, who were indicted on charges of exerting external pressure to obstruct the investigation into the death of Corporal Chae (abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights), were each recommended for a three-year prison term.

In court today, the Independent Counsel team emphasized, "This case involves the leadership of an agency established to investigate power-related crimes using their authority to block the investigation of such crimes, and even covering up perjury committed by an internal member that was uncovered in the process. Only a strict and corresponding judgment can once again demonstrate the reason for the CIO's existence." Chief Oh, Deputy Chief Lee, and former Senior Prosecutor Park are accused of sitting on a complaint filed in August 2024 against CIO Senior Prosecutor Song Chang-jin for perjury before the National Assembly, failing to transfer or notify the Supreme Prosecutors' Office for 11 months, and stalling the investigation.

At the time, former Senior Prosecutor Song had been reported for perjury during a parliamentary hearing regarding the investigation into Corporal Chae's death.

The Independent Counsel team criticized them, stating, "Despite holding weighty positions as the head, deputy head, and senior prosecutors of the CIO, the defendants consciously obstructed their subordinates' duties to prevent a specific case from proceeding. From positions that should be fairer than anyone else's, they left behind a representative example of the bad habit of looking out for and protecting their own people."

Former Senior Prosecutors Kim and Song were indicted on charges of obstructing the investigation into the death of Corporal Chae while serving as acting chief and deputy chief of the CIO in the first half of 2024.

Rebuking them, the Independent Counsel team stated, "The defendants nullified the reason for the CIO's existence and privatized the authority of the acting chief and deputy chief entrusted to them by the public. As a result, the investigative team's legitimate authority to investigate was trampled upon, and the public's belief that there are no exceptions in investigating power-related crimes was shattered."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.