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Prosecutors have requested a preliminary arrest warrant for former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Baek Un-gyu.

Prosecutors believe that in the past government, former Minister Baek forced the heads of agencies affiliated with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to resign.

The warrant substantive examination to decide whether to detain or not will be held the day after tomorrow (15th).



Reporter Park Ye-rin.



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The charge that the prosecution applied today when it requested a preliminary arrest warrant for former Minister of Industry, Baek Un-gyu is abuse of power.



Former Minister Baek is accused of coercing the heads of 13 existing agencies under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to submit a resignation letter from 2017, when the Moon Jae-in administration was in the early stages of the government, to the following year.



Prosecutors also found that former Minister Paik provided unreasonable support in the process of appointing a successor to an agency.



Prosecutors believe that another affiliated agency ordered former Minister Baek to cancel an internal personnel decision that had already been implemented.



Prosecutors summoned former Minister Baek for the first time on the 9th and investigated these allegations for 14 hours, and it is said that former Minister Baek completely denied the allegations throughout the investigation process.



Previously, former Minister Baek also publicly claimed innocence during the search and seizure of his home and office at Hanyang University.



[Baek Un-gyu/Former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy (last May 19): I want to say that we did not move and move like that when we were instructed, and that we always followed the laws and regulations and handled our work.]



However, the prosecution is confident of proving the charges, saying that it has secured material evidence and statements to prove the allegation of abuse of power.



The warrant review for former Minister Baek will be held the morning of the morning at the Seoul Eastern District Court.



If the new recruits of former Minister Baek are secured, the prosecution's investigation is likely to target the Moon Jae-in government's upper-level Blue House, so attention is focused on whether or not to detain him.



(Video coverage: Choi Jun-sik, video editing: Park Jeong-sam)