This article reports on allegations made by members of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee from the People Power Party concerning the actions of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO). The allegations involve the CIO’s handling of warrants related to President Yoon Suk-yeol.
The committee members accused the CIO of concealing the fact that their request for a warrant against President Yoon was rejected by the Seoul Central District Court. Despite this, the CIO allegedly proceeded to obtain a search and arrest warrant from the Seoul Western District Court. The lawmakers criticized this action, asserting it was done to circumvent the legal oversight of the Seoul Central District Court and exploit favorable conditions in the Seoul Western District Court, which they claim was controlled by a specific judicial faction.
The lawmakers called for the CIO chief and involved officials to publicly explain and apologize, urging them to resign. They emphasized the seriousness of the CIO’s alleged actions, labeling them as serious crimes, including forgery of official documents and obstruction of justice. They further accused the CIO of attempting an unconstitutional rebellion by unlawfully arresting and detaining the President.
Moreover, the lawmakers called for a thorough investigation into this affair, demanding the immediate release of President Yoon, and stressed that they will fully reveal the facts and hold those responsible accountable. Assemblyman Ju Jin-woo, during a Q&A session, dismissed the CIO’s clarification as wordplay and highlighted inconsistencies in the handling of investigation records. He also demanded the CIO chief testify at a national investigation committee meeting to answer questions about the matter.
Lastly, Ju suggested that if the investigation records were not fully transferred to the prosecution or if details were hidden during the warrant requests, this would constitute criminal acts such as concealing official documents and deceiving the judiciary.