“On the 5th, at the 429th National Assembly (Regular Session) Legislation and Judiciary Committee’s hearing on prosecutorial reform held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Representative Seo Young-kyo raised questions regarding the ‘Gwanbongwon strap loss incident.’ Photo = News1.
On the 7th, the Democratic Party stated that a ‘special prosecutor investigation is the answer’ in relation to the prosecution’s ‘Gwanbongwon strap loss incident.’
During a briefing at the National Assembly, spokesperson Kim Hyun-jung said, “Entrusting the investigation to the prosecution is like having a cat watch over fish,” expressing a similar sentiment.
Spokesperson Kim continued, “The loss of the Gwanbongwon strap is not the mistake of an inexperienced investigator but an organized crime to conceal a larger crime or higher-ups,” adding, “The statements during the hearing are nothing more than an act of lying as instructed by superiors, and focusing on pleasing the prosecutors who will investigate and prosecute them, rather than representing the people as legislators.”
Earlier, the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office found 165 million won in cash during a search of Seongbae Jeon’s residence last December, related to the 2018 party nomination bribery case. During the investigation, evidence such as the strap and sticker attached to 50 million won, part of the Gwanbongwon, was lost.
Gwanbongwon refers to bundles of cash wrapped with an assurance strap, detailing the contents, printed by the Mint Corporation and sent to the Bank of Korea. The strap and sticker include information like the banknote inspection date, handler code, processing department, and identification number, serving as critical clues in tracing the cash’s origin and flow.
At the National Assembly’s ‘Prosecutorial Reform Legislative Hearing’ held on the 5th, prosecutorial investigators, present as witnesses, consistently responded with “I don’t remember” and “I didn’t know” regarding the circumstances of the strap’s loss.”