CIO's First Case Confirmed as Complaint Alleging Legal Distortion

The first case being investigated by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) has been confirmed as a complaint regarding the prosecution's decision to find 'no charges' concerning allegations of First Lady Kim Jung-sook's clothing purchases. This case is one that the police recently received on charges of legal distortion and transferred to the CIO, and it has been confirmed as a complaint filed against Park Cheol-woo, head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, and the chief prosecutor in charge of the case. Cases of 'legal distortion' where the accused is a prosecutor are stipulated by law to be transferred to the CIO.

On the 30th of last month, the Citizens' Livelihood Countermeasure Committee filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency against Park Cheol-woo, head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, and the chief prosecutor handling the case, on charges of legal distortion, abuse of power, and obstruction of exercise of rights, and dereliction of duty. The allegations regarding First Lady Kim's clothing purchases originated when the Citizens' Livelihood Countermeasure Committee filed a complaint against her in 2022 concerning the use of special activity funds from the Blue House. The police issued a 'no charges' decision for Kim in July last year.

The prosecution requested a reinvestigation in October of the same year, but the police again decided not to forward the case. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office returned the relevant records to the police last month, concluding the case.