Investigate the former justice to clear doubts

The prosecution will start a full-fledged investigation into the case over former Supreme Court Justice Kwon Soon-il’s alleged violation of the Attorney-at-Law Act after the police handed over the case to the prosecution. The former justice worked as a counsel for Hwacheon Daeyu — the developer behind the controversial Daejang-dong redevelopment project pushed by Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung when he was the Seongnam mayor — even without registering himself as an attorney at the Korean Bar Association (KBA) after retirement.

The prosecution had transferred the case to the police in January 2022 after judging that the former justice’s alleged violation of the act is beyond the boundaries of its direct investigation into the six grave crimes. Twenty-one months after the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police protracted its probe, it decided to send the case back to the prosecution, which was already looking into the former justice’s other suspicious deal with the DP leader over his trial.

The former justice faces serious suspicions. He allegedly played a critical role in helping Lee get acquitted of making a false statement during a TV debate in 2018 about the forced hospitalization of his elder brother for a mental disorder. In the lower court trial, Lee was sentenced to 3 million won ($2,200) in fines, which could cost his seat as Gyeonggi governor. That’s not all. Kim Man-bae, the owner of the development company, also visited Kwon’s office eight times, before and after the Supreme Court cleared Lee of the charges against him in July 2020. Kwon retired as a justice two months later and then served on the counsel for Hwacheon Daeyu owned by Kim. Kwon received 150 million won from the developer while serving on the counsel for 11 months.

After a civic group accused Kwon of violating the laws on bribery, the Attorney-at-Law Act and the Public Service Ethics Act, both he and Kim strongly denied the charges. Kim claimed he had never talked with Kwon over Lee’s case. Kwon also denied suspicions.

But the developer and Kwon met frequently during Lee’s trials in the top court. Kwon also gladly accepted his roles as a counsel member at the asset management company regardless of his potential violation of an act. If the alleged deal over Lee’s trial at the top court is proven true, that’s a grave crime.

And yet, the investigations have been protracted over the past two years. In the meantime, Kwon registered himself as an attorney with the Korean Bar Association and began work as a lawyer. Testimonies against the developer continue. A former senior official at the Seongnam Development Corporation said that six members of the so-called “5-billion-won club,” including the former justice, all helped then-Gyeonggi Gov. Lee avoid punishment. The prosecution must investigate Kwon fast to clear all public doubts.