<Anchor>
Prosecutors raided the Presidential Archives in Sejong City today (19th).
Prosecutors investigating two other cases, including the case of forcibly sending back fishermen from North Korea during the last government and the early shutdown of the Wolsong nuclear power plant, have launched a search and seizure, respectively.
Let's take a look at the background of how the prosecution is moving just one day after the nominee for the Prosecutor General's Office was nominated.
First, reporter Ahn Hee-jae summarizes the investigation.
<Reporter> The
Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and the Daejeon District Prosecutor's Office Investigation Teams attacked the Presidential Archives in Sejong City at the same time.
This is a department that investigates allegations of forced repatriation of North Korean defectors and the early shutdown of the Wolsong nuclear power plant, respectively.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office is investigating allegations that in November 2019, the Blue House National Security Office and the National Intelligence Service led the forcible return of two North Korean fishermen to North Korea.
The key is to solve the background of repatriation to North Korea after five days of capture even after confirming the intention of the fishermen to defect.
The Daejeon District Prosecutor's Office Investigation Team seized and searched the Blue House records related to the suspicion of the early shutdown of Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1.
Former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Baek Un-gyu and former Blue House industrial policy secretary Chae Hee-bong have already been charged with abuse of power and the trial is in progress. We are looking into whether there has been any intervention from a higher level in the Blue House.
In the past, there have been several raids and seizures of the Presidential Archives, including the suspicion of discarding the minutes of the inter-Korean summit and the investigation into the Sewol ferry, but this is the first case involving the Moon Jae-in government.
In relation to the attack of a public official in the West Sea, the prosecution's investigation into the former government is expanding in all directions as the president's archives are raided and searched three days after the home of former National Security Office chief Suh Hoon and former National Intelligence Service chief Park Ji-won was seized.
(Video coverage: Kim Min-cheol, video editing: Lee Seung-jin)
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<Anchor>
Let's connect reporter Ahn Hee-jae, who is covering the prosecution.
How is it to be interpreted that two investigative teams investigating different cases set out on the same day, the very day after the nominee for president was appointed?
<Reporter>
Yes, this search and seizure was carried out in a blitz, just one day after the nomination of the presidential candidate, as if waiting.
There is also an analysis that this may be because Lee Won-seok's status changed from acting president to president candidate, and the burden on the investigation of the former government was reduced.
Prosecutors say they have nothing to do with the nomination of this candidate as they have received a court warrant in advance.
He explained that the simultaneous seizure and search by the investigation team of the Central Prosecutor's Office and the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office was also conducted without consultation.
On the same day, there is also a reaction that it is a coincidence that the two prosecutors' offices targeted the Presidential Archives, where key records of the former government's Blue House were kept.
No search and seizure was conducted in relation to the attack on the West Sea.
After carrying out the relevant basic investigation, in some cases, additional search and seizure may be conducted.
<Anchor>
The opposition from the Democratic Party is not strong because it is accelerating the investigation aimed at the previous government. How is the opposition's reaction?
<Reporter> The
Democratic Party of Korea strongly opposed the investigation, criticizing it as a duster investigation and an Indian rain system investigation.
[Shin Hyun-young / Spokesperson of the Democratic Party: The purpose of all these investigations is former President Moon Jae-in.
His intention is clear to restore the approval rating of the retired president as a scapegoat, which fell to the bottom within 100 days of his inauguration.]
On the other hand, lawmakers from People's Power said that pan-government illegal acts were revealed, including former Blue House chief of staff Roh Young-min and the former government. Ten additional personnel were reported to the
prosecution.
In the case of the case of the shooting of a public official in the West Sea and the repatriation of fishermen to North Korea, as more than a month has passed since the beginning of the investigation, it is expected that the summons will be made soon for former government officials such as Park Ji-won, former head of the National Intelligence Service, Chung Eui-yong, and former security chief Seo Hoon.
(Video coverage: Seol Min-hwan, video editing: Park Soo-seon, on-site moderator: Compilation-hyung)