Sim Woo-jung, Former Prosecutor General, Arrest Warrant Dismissed Over 'Yoon Appeal Withdrawal'... "Insufficient Grounds for Evidence Tampering"

'Arrest Warrant for Former Prosecutor General Sim Ujeong Dismissed
on Charges of Insurrection Involvement and Abandoning Appeal'

Yonhap News Agency

The court has dismissed the arrest warrant requested by the Second Special Counsel Team (Special Counsel Kwon Chang-young) for former Prosecutor General Sim Woo-jung.

On July 16, Deputy Presiding Judge Boo Dong-sik, who oversees warrants related to insurrection at Seoul Central District Court, ruled after reviewing Sim's arrest warrant, which was sought for alleged involvement in key insurrection duties, among other charges. The judge stated, "In light of the defense's arguments and the evidence collected, the grounds to believe evidence may be destroyed are insufficient, and considering the progress of the investigation and trial, as well as the current status of the case, there is little risk of flight." Accordingly, the arrest warrant was denied.

Judge Boo also dismissed the arrest warrant for Jeon Moo-gon, former Director of Planning and Coordination at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, who faces the same charges. The judge remarked, "Given the defense's arguments, progress of the investigation, and evidence collected, there is little reason to believe there is a risk of destruction of evidence or flight."

According to the special counsel, former Prosecutor General Sim is suspected of reviewing the possible dispatch of prosecutors to the Martial Law Joint Investigation Headquarters following former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s proclamation of the 12·3 Martial Law. It is alleged that he did so on the instructions of former Minister of Justice Park Seong-jae, thereby engaging in key insurrection duties. Additionally, he is accused of participating in the drafting of documents that established the jurisdiction of military and civilian courts during martial law, which constitutes further involvement in key insurrection duties. Sim is also accused of instructing officials to forgo an immediate appeal after the cancellation of former President Yoon's detention, which could be construed as abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights.

The special counsel requested arrest warrants for both former Prosecutor General Sim and former Director Jeon on July 13. Previously, starting with a raid on the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in April this year, the special counsel launched a compulsory investigation against Sim and other suspects. The investigation intensified with a second raid on May 11, followed by Sim’s first summons as a suspect on June 24, and another raid on July 3, after which attempts were made to secure his custody.

Separately, on July 10, the special counsel summoned former Prosecutor General Sim as a suspect in the 'Kim Keon-hee Stock Manipulation Cover-up Allegations'. The investigation focused on whether, despite being excluded from command authority, Sim was aware of or involved in the process when the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, under his leadership in October 2024, acquitted Kim Keon-hee.

However, these allegations were not included in the most recent arrest warrant. Thus, the special counsel may either supplement the warrant that was dismissed and resubmit it, or potentially file a new arrest warrant against Sim based on further findings from the ongoing investigation into the 'Kim Keon-hee Stock Manipulation Cover-up Allegations'.

This marks the fourth time in history that an arrest warrant has been requested for a former Prosecutor General. Former Prosecutor General Kim Tae-jung was arrested in 1999 in connection to the so-called ‘Clothing Lobby Scandal’ for leaking internal investigative reports and for the disclosure and falsification of official documents. Kim Ki-choon, former Chief Presidential Secretary during the Park Geun-hye administration, and former President Yoon were also detained—Kim in connection with the ‘Cultural Blacklist’ case, and Yoon regarding an ‘insurrection case’. However, in the case of Kim and Yoon, these arrests occurred after they became involved in politics.

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