Comprehensive Special Counsel Investigation Concludes with Indictment of 58, Including Yoon Suk Yeol and Kim Keon Hee

The 180-day special investigation has concluded with the figure of 58 indictments.

The Kwon Chang-yeong II Comprehensive Special Counsel Team, which took over cases left unresolved after the dissolution of the third independent counsel—including inquiries into insurrection and allegations surrounding First Lady Kim Keon Hee—has wrapped up its six-month investigation schedule. According to the special counsel team, out of the 58 total indictments, 7 involve detention and 51 are without detention. Former President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee are included among those indicted. The special counsel team is scheduled to officially announce the final investigation results on the 24th.

Why the Comprehensive Special Counsel Was Launched

The Comprehensive Special Counsel was established to consolidate and investigate remaining suspicions that individual special counsels—such as those for insurrection and First Lady Kim Keon Hee—could not address. Cases that went unclarified following the dissolution of the third special counsel were transferred, and second-acting special counsel Kwon Chang-yeong effectively conducted the final investigation within the legally mandated 180-day period. The subjects of investigation included allegations regarding the move to the official residence, controversies over diplomatic broadcasts related to martial law, and insurrection charges against former Defense Ministry officials Hong Jang-won and Cho Seong-hyun.

Investigation Results Marked by Both Achievements and Limitations

The indictment of 58 individuals marks the largest scale in the history of special counsel investigations. It is also regarded as the longest investigation ever conducted. Among the seven detained individuals are reportedly key figures in the insurrection allegations, including former National Security Office Chief Hong Jang-won and former Vice Defense Minister Cho Seong-hyun. However, the wall of the investigation deadline was high. The allegations regarding the Yangpyeong Expressway and the notebook scandal involving former Vice Defense Minister No Sang-won did not lead to indictments and were merely transferred to other investigative agencies. Several major allegations remain unresolved, having failed to reach the trial stage.

Remaining Tasks: Trials and Transferred Investigations

The spotlight now shifts to the courtroom. The indicted cases will have their culpability determined in upcoming first-instance trials. Given that Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and former President Yoon Suk Yeol have already been found guilty in the first trial of the Myung Tae-kyun opinion manipulation case, the trial results from the Comprehensive Special Counsel indictments are likely to serve as a significant variable in future political developments. A key point of interest will be how thoroughly the transferred allegations—concerning the Yangpyeong Expressway and the notebook—are investigated by follow-up agencies such as the prosecution.

In the final briefing on the 24th, the special counsel team is expected to provide a detailed explanation of the disposition of cases and transfer plans. Although the 180-day investigation has been summarized numerically, assessments suggest that the burden of uncovering the truth has now passed to the courts and follow-up investigative agencies.