Ex-first lady pressed minister on former chief justice probe

The special counsel led by Cho Eun Seok, investigating allegations of insurrection, has obtained another Telegram message in which former First Lady Kim Keon-hee asked then-Justice Minister Park Sung-jae about the progress of the investigation into former Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su.

According to legal officials on Nov. 26, the special counsel found on Park's mobile phone that last May Kim asked, "How is my investigation going?" and also questioned the case involving the former chief justice, saying, "It has been more than two years since he was reported, so why has it been left unattended?" On the same day, Kim also sent Park a document titled "Analysis of Prosecutorial Developments Regarding the Formation of a Dedicated Investigation Team," written in the style of an anonymously circulated rumor document. The document alleged that former Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok was ordered to resign by the presidential office and that he instructed the prosecution's investigative team to accelerate the probe into Kim.

Prosecutors have been investigating allegations that in May 2020, the former chief justice gave false explanations to the National Assembly about his refusal to accept the resignation of former presiding judge Lim Seong-geun. Last August, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office summoned the former chief justice for a closed-door questioning as a suspect, but the case has not yet been closed.

The special counsel is reviewing whether Kim’s messages to Park regarding the prosecution’s investigation violate the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act. The office also plans to coordinate with the separate special counsel team led by Min Jung-ki to determine which office will have jurisdiction over the matter.


최미송기자 cms@donga.com