Prosecution denies reports of chief prosecutor’s connection to sex scandal

The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office on Friday denied reports that Prosecutor-General Yoon Seok-youl is linked to the sex-bribery scandal involving a former deputy justice minister.

Hankyoreh 21, a weekly magazine affiliated to the left-wing daily Hankyoreh, reported Friday that Yoon was entertained by construction business operator Yoon Joong-cheon. 

Yoon Joong-cheon is accused of bribing and providing sexual services to a number of influential figures, including former Deputy Justice Minister Kim Hak-eui, at his holiday home in Gangwon Province. Yoon Joong-cheon and Kim are currently on trial.

According to the report, the prosecution had secured related testimony from Yoon Joong-cheon during the investigation into him and Kim, but chose to bury the evidence.

The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office immediately denied the report, and said that it would take legal action against the publication.

“The prosecutor-general and Yoon (Joong-cheon) have not even met once. Obviously, he has never been to the place (Yoon Joong-cheon’s holiday home),” the prosecutors’ office said.

“The office of the senior secretary for civil affairs has looked into such groundless slander and deemed it as such in the vetting process.”

The prosecution was referring to the office of the senior secretary to the president for civil affairs that vets nominees for senior government posts.

The prosecutors’ office also said that it had denied the allegations to the publication before the report was published, and that legal measures will be taken against the publication.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)