Yoon Seok-yeol’s mother in law, Choi Eun-soon, was found guilty of defrauding the South Korean Medical Insurance Public Corporation of rehabilitation funds by her deep involvement in the establishment of the rehab facility and its management. The trial court in Uijongbu found that not only was she not qualified to operate a medical treatment facility by law, but also that she played a leading role in defrauding the government entity of 2 billion 90 million won damaging the government health care system. She was sentenced to three years in prison and immediately committed to confinement by the court. Her attorney said she will appeal.
This is headline news. The mother in law of the number one conservative political candidate for president is jailed for defrauding the government health insurance agency of approximately 2 million dollars and nothing is published yet in English language media either in Korea or the US. Recently, Yoon was widely quoted in South Korean social media and independent news outlets defending his mother-in-law claiming that, "no person had ever lost a dime by any act of his mother-in-law." This may be the beginning of the end for the former prosecutor known as the "wild pig from Seocho." The issue remains why wasn't Yoon's mother in law found guilty years ago with her partners in the medical scam? Was it because of her son in law's influence?
Some observers on the democratic side believe that the actions of the former Justice Minister Chu Mi-ae in removing jurisdiction from the Prosecutor General's office effectively curtailed its ability to supervise or interfere in criminal investigations involving Yoon, his wife, mother in law, or his former subordinates. This action, in conjunction with extensive personnel transfers in, and consequent resignations from, prosecution offices since Chu stepped down from office, has apparently opened the door for reinvestigation of several suspected cases of fraud, forgery, perjury, bribery or obstruction of justice against members of the Yoon coterie. Those cases where grounds cannot be found to avoid the statute of limitation expiry dates could still be exploited either in the National Assembly or on the campaign trail for political purposes to damage Yoon's election prospects.
The judgement (and continuing litigation) against Choi Eun-soon will have a negative impact on Yoon's campaign prospects. One would like to think that this court judgement would end the facile observation that accusations of corruption against the Yoon family members are merely speculation. We now have two administrative disciplinary actions taken against Yoon for unprofessiional behavior and now a criminal conviction of his mother in law. It is almost certain that there will be unfavorable findings and legal determinations in the former Prosecutor General's future.
Addendum, 7.4:
The point is made on the right that "guilt by association" is not a fair practice in a country under the rule of law. So the opposition on the right seeks the benefit of an impartial justice system which their candidate, Yoon Seok-yeol as the former Prosecutor General, is most responsible for undermining. In December 2012, the ministry of justice at that time under the supervision of Justice Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, sent a letter to Jeong Dae-taek, responding to a complaint he had made that Yoon Seok-yeol had interfered in a law suit he had brought against Yoon's mother in law. Jeong claimed in the complaint that Choi, Yoon's mother in law, had soliticited perjury, forged documents, and otherwise obstructed justice, in a criminal trial and other litigation related to a business deal in which he lost 2.5 billion won to his erstwhile partner, and was sent to prison for two years in a miscarriage of justice. Kim Geon-hee, Yoon's wife, allegedly bribed the key witness, a legal clerk, in the original criminal trial to perjure himself. Jeong's point was tha Yoon was living with Kim Gyeon-hee, the defendant's daughter, a person with interest in the suit, when the case was brought. The letter from the justice ministry concerning the disciplinary action taken against Yoon did not state clearly the basis for the response to Jeong's complaint against Yoon, and is therefore regarded as an arbitrary coverup. The letter implied the matter had been disposed of by a one month suspension of Yoon's official duties as a prosecutor as a sanction.
There is one other fraud case against Yoon's mother in law in litigation right now for forgery in presenting over 30 billion won in fake bank deposit certifications in another business deal. A third case against her involves her allegedly unlawful acquistion of mortuary management rights. Yoon's wife is under investigation for large commissions paid by corporate sponsors received in connection with her Kobana Contents art exhibition business. These are suspected to be attempts to buy influence with Yoon. Yoon's mother in law and wife are also suspected of having engaged in unlawful stock transactions in the Deustche Motors case. Yoon himself is suspected of using his office to protect his family from investigations and prosecutions and protect subordinates suspected of unlawful conduct. He is also suspected of dereliction of duty in the Optimus Fund scandal. In all, eight investigations are under way. The notion that they are all politically motivated and contrived is absurd. These investigations are the result of politically motivated obstruction of justice over the years inside the offices of the prosecution. This is what the reform policies of the democratic party and the Moon administration are all intended to change.
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