Prosecutors' Future Committee Investigation Team Denied Access to Kim Yong's Trial Records by Supreme Court

Investigation Team: "Review of Prosecution's Evidence Records Needed"

Plans to Supplement Reasons for Access and Reapply

The Truth Investigation Team of the Prosecutors' Committee for Human Rights and Future, which is investigating allegations of prosecutorial abuse of investigative powers, applied to the Supreme Court for access to the trial records of the case involving Kim Yong, former Deputy Director of the Institute for Democracy. However, the request was denied. The investigation team stated that it plans to supplement the necessary reasons and reapply.

Yonhap News Agency

According to the legal community on July 9, the Supreme Court's First Division (presiding Justice Seo Kyunghwan) rejected the Truth Investigation Team's request for cooperation in viewing and copying the trial records of the case involving former Deputy Director Kim the previous day. This decision came six days after the team requested access to the trial records related to Kim's alleged violations of the Political Funds Act and other charges on July 2.

The investigation team announced on this day that, "In accordance with the Supreme Prosecutors' Office guidelines related to the team's operations, we are in the process of securing investigation and trial records for seven selected cases via the Supreme Prosecutors' Office." The team added, "We also applied to the Supreme Court for access to and copying of records in Kim's case—which is currently ongoing at the Supreme Court—via the Supreme Prosecutors' Office."

The team stated, "We are unable to confirm the specific reasons why the Supreme Court denied access to and copying of the trial records." Nevertheless, it added, "For the performance of our related work, it is necessary to secure and review the prosecution's evidence records currently submitted to the court." The team also said, "We plan to specify the reasons why access and copying are necessary and reapply to the Supreme Court."

According to internal guidelines of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office regarding the operation of the investigation team, the team is permitted to collect and secure investigation and trial records, as well as related documents, if necessary.

However, there are criticisms both within and outside the prosecution that the investigation team lacks a legal basis for accessing the case records. Former chief prosecutors issued a joint statement the previous day, criticizing the team's activities as a significant interference in ongoing trials.

The Prosecutors' Committee for Human Rights and Future was launched on June 10 to uncover the truth about alleged human rights violations and abuse of prosecutorial power. The first round of investigations involves seven cases: the Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance case, the Daejang-dong case, the case involving former Deputy Director Kim Yong, the Wirye New Town case, the West Sea public official shooting case, the statistics manipulation case, and the alleged false reporting case involving "Yoon Suk Yeol defamation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.