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[Anchor]

The Ministry of Justice's Inspection Committee has held a meeting regarding Prosecutor Park Sang-yong, who faces requests for disciplinary action due to alleged rule violations during the investigation into the Ssangbangwool illegal cash-remittance to North Korea case. Based on today's (the 13th) review, the Ministry of Justice's Disciplinary Committee will determine the final level of disciplinary action. However, the so-called "salmon drinking party allegation" was excluded from the scope of review.

Reporter Shin Yong-il has the details.

[Reporter]

Prosecutor Park Sang-yong of the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office enters the Ministry of Justice building to attend the Inspection Committee meeting, which will deliberate on whether he faces disciplinary action.

[Park Sang-yong / Senior Prosecutor, Incheon District Prosecutors' Office: I wasn't even notified of the specific details being reviewed.]

Prosecutor Park also claimed that inspection committee members had recently been replaced, questioning whether a disciplinary conclusion had already been predetermined.

Prosecutor Park was pointed out as a central figure in allegations of coercing testimonies from former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young and others during the 2023 investigation into the Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance case.

Last May, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office held an inspection committee meeting and requested the Ministry of Justice to impose a two-month suspension on Prosecutor Park, stating it was recognized that he had demanded confessions from former Vice Governor Lee's side and brought unauthorized food into the office during the investigation.

Additionally, in July, the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office requested further disciplinary action, alleging that Prosecutor Park posted on social media 21 times during work hours and attended a hearing solely hosted by the People Power Party last April without submitting a written report.

However, the so-called "salmon drinking party allegation," which served as the starting point for the suspicions, was not placed on the review agenda.

The Ministry of Justice will deliberate on all disciplinary grounds requested by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office to recommend a level of punishment. The final ruling will be determined by the Disciplinary Committee—chaired by Minister of Justice Jung Sung-ho—which will be held soon.

Meanwhile, regarding the incident last November where four trial prosecutors walked out of former Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young's perjury trial, the Ministry of Justice's Inspection Committee is reportedly recommended reprimands for the first and second deputy chiefs of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office and the head of its Criminal Division 6, differing from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Committee's conclusion that disciplinary action would be difficult.

(Video by Yang Hyun-chul | Video Editing by Choi Jin-hwa | Graphics by Seo Hyun-jung)