Kim Keon-hee Case Closed: Questions Arise Over Lee Jae-myung Government's Probe

The closing of the Kim Keon-hee investigation under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration raises questions about potential manipulation of the 'Jung Young-hak recordings' by prosecutors under the previous Lee Jae-myung government. The Democratic Party of Korea's Special Committee on Political Prosecution Manipulation and Indictment Response held a press conference at the National Assembly, condemning the alleged fabrication of the Jung Young-hak recordings. This press conference follows a report by OhmyNews detailing specific circumstances suggesting key content of the recordings had been altered. The prosecution is accused of arbitrarily changing the reference to "Hyung Jae-chang" in the recordings between attorney Nam Wook and accountant Jung Young-hak to "Chief of Staff." Both Nam Wook and Jung Young-hak have testified in court that they referred to "Hyung Jae-chang," not the "Chief of Staff.” Furthermore, it's alleged that in a portion of the recordings, Nam Wook's statement, "I'll do everything you decide regarding the Wirye New City development,” had the phrase 'Wirye New City' replaced with 'orders from higher-ups.'

The phrase 'Yongihago' appearing in a recording from March 5, 2013, was interpreted as referring to Kim Yong, the former deputy director of the Institute for Democracy, but claims have emerged that this content does not exist in the original recordings, calling the reliability of the entire transcript into question. The Jung Young-hak recordings are considered crucial evidence in the investigation into the Daejang-dong development corruption scandal. The issue of the recordings' authenticity is expected to significantly impact future trials related to the Daejang-dong case.

Questions are being raised about the prosecution's motives for changing "Hyung Jae-chang" to "Chief of Staff," with allegations that the content of the recordings was edited to align with the direction of the investigation at the time. Nam Wook testified in court that despite saying "Hyung Jae-chang" during the prosecution's investigation, the record stated "Chief of Staff." The Democratic Party of Korea's Special Committee on Political Prosecution Manipulation and Indictment Response criticized the alleged alteration of the Jung Young-hak recordings as a "clear act of evidence fabrication and a grave crime that undermines judicial justice." The special committee is calling for a thorough investigation into the matter and punishment of those responsible. Meanwhile, the ruling party officially urged the Ministry of Justice on the 16th to conduct an audit into the allegations of manipulation of the Jung Young-hak recordings. The ruling party insists that a thorough investigation into the allegations should be conducted, and those responsible should be punished. The alleged manipulation of the recordings raises serious doubts about the fairness and credibility of the prosecution.