Prosecutor Who Refused Oath at Hearing Questioned by Police

Park Sang-yong, a deputy chief prosecutor at the Incheon District Prosecutors' Office who was reported to police for refusing to take an oath as a witness at a National Assembly hearing, appeared for questioning on the 27th.

The Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Metropolitan Investigation Bureau began questioning Park at around 10 a.m. that day on suspicion of violating the Act on Testimony and Appraisal Before the National Assembly, among other charges. The National Assembly's special committee on the parliamentary investigation into alleged fabricated indictments by political prosecutors under the Yoon Suk-yeol government filed a complaint with the National Office of Investigation in May, saying Park had twice refused to take the witness oath at a hearing in April.

Before appearing, Park sharply criticized the parliamentary complaint and the police investigation. "They filed a complaint over absurd claims of refusing to take an oath and contempt of the National Assembly," he said. "Investigative powers must not be abused like this." He added that police "should be searching for missing persons instead of conducting this kind of investigation."

Park also reiterated his position that refusing to take an oath is a right guaranteed under current law for someone who is himself a target of investigation. "If an ordinary citizen had filed this kind of complaint, it would have been dismissed without an inquiry, and the person who filed it would instead have been investigated for false accusation," he said.

Park had earlier questioned the legitimacy of the parliamentary investigation in a written statement explaining his refusal to testify, which he posted on his Facebook account. "The purpose of this parliamentary investigation is clearly to withdraw the indictment in a specific case," he wrote. "For me to take an oath and testify would be to actively cooperate with an unconstitutional and unlawful procedure."

A press conference and a rally protesting the police investigation were held near the Metropolitan Investigation Bureau's building that day. Joo Jin-woo, a lawmaker of the People Power Party, said police were "continuing an investigation that oppresses Prosecutor Park, with the intent of laying a stepping stone toward canceling President Lee Jae-myung's trial." He added, "We warn that this could soon lead to impeachment." About 30 members of civic groups gathered in front of the building holding placards that read "The people will protect Prosecutor Park" and "Stop the judicial reform that shields Lee Jae-myung."