Prosecutor Park Sang-yong Ejected from Ssangbangul Hearing for Refusing to Be Sworn In

At a parliamentary hearing on the 'Fact-Finding Special Committee on Alleged Fabricated Indictments by the Political Prosecutors of the Yoon Suk-yeol Regime' held at the National Assembly on the 14th, Prosecutor Park Sang-yong was removed after refusing to take the witness oath. On the 15th, Committee Chairperson Seo Young-kyo of the National Assembly's special committee claimed on CBS Radio that Park refused the oath out of concern his lies would be exposed, choosing perjury instead. This was interpreted as an attempt to avoid legal repercussions for perjury, which can follow the witness oath, as stipulated by the National Assembly Act. Prosecutor Park Sang-yong refused to be sworn in during the hearing on the Ssangbangul North Korea remittance case on the 14th. Chairperson Seo ordered him to submit a written explanation for his refusal, but when Park rejected this and requested to provide a verbal explanation, Seo ordered his expulsion.

Regarding remarks by People Power Party Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, suggesting that Park did not need to be sworn in if he faced potential criminal prosecution, Rep. Seo argued that an apology was due because audio recordings related to then-Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung had emerged. To clarify this, Rep. Seo had summoned Prosecutor Park as a witness, but due to his refusal to take the oath, she instead demanded a written statement. During last year's parliamentary audits and hearings, allegations of statement coercion against former Gyeonggi Province Peace Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young, threats of family arrest, and a 'salmon drinking party' were raised.

In July 2019, the Ssangbangul Group allegedly provided $5 million for smart farm development and $3 million for then-Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung's visit to North Korea. The group was indicted on June 12, 2024, for these charges. In connection with this case, Bang Yong-cheol, former vice chairman of Ssangbangul Group, testified at the hearing on the 14th that he met with North Korean agent Ri Ho-nam in the Philippines and delivered $700,000 as payment for Lee Jae-myung's visit to North Korea. The National Intelligence Service stated at the time that it had information indicating Ri Ho-nam was not in the Philippines.