The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) launched a raid today (August 4) on former Jeju Regional Coast Guard Chief Park Sang-chun, who is suspected of perjury in connection with the fatal shooting of a South Korean fisheries official in the West Sea.

This marks the second time Investigation Division 4 of the CIO (led by Senior Prosecutor Cha Jeong-hyun) has raided Park, following a previous search on July 16.

The raid reportedly includes Park's work PC and other related materials.

Previously, Park was filed a complaint on charges of committing perjury regarding the West Sea official shooting case during a parliamentary session of the National Assembly's Special Committee on Truth-Finding regarding Allegations of Fabricated Indictments by Political Prosecutors under the Yoon Suk Yeol Administration.

Regarding the case of the late Lee Dae-jun, an official at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries who was shot and killed by North Korean troops in the West Sea in September 2020, the Coast Guard initially announced that he was "presumed to have defected to North Korea." However, in June 2022, after the launch of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, the Coast Guard reversed its investigation results, stating that "no intention to defect to the North could be found."

Park served as the Incheon Coast Guard Chief at the time of the investigation result reversal and was in charge of the briefing.

Yoon Sung-hyun, former Director of Investigation and Information at the Coast Guard who led the initial investigation, has claimed through parliamentary audits and other occasions that the day before the briefing, Park vented to him by saying, "I don't really intend to do this in the form of a briefing, but the Chief is making me do it. I have never investigated a case like this before and don't know the first thing about investigations, but I suppose I have no other choice for now."

However, during the parliamentary special committee hearing last April, Park denied the "higher-up intervention theory" regarding the reversal of the investigation results, stating that he "does not remember" the remarks alleged by former Director Yoon.

(Photo provided by CIO, Yonhap News)