Trampling the Chief Prosecutor (2)
When I lived as Kang Min-chan, this document was far more familiar to me than any court verdict. It was an internal prosecutor's office approval form bearing the header Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office. Most of it was blurred, but the few clearly visible entries were enough to tell me exactly what it was.
[Suspect: Seok Dong-hoon]
[Charge: Criminal Organization Formation]
(......)
[Disposition: Non-prosecution (No Suspicion)]
[Reason for Disposition: Insufficient Evidence]
Oh, what a windfall. This document meant that the line prosecutor had concluded there wasn't enough evidence to indict Seok Dong-hoon and had sent it up for the chief prosecutor's approval. The fact that Seok Dong-hoon was still indicted despite this document existing meant the chief prosecutor had rejected the recommendation, suppressed the internal opinion, and forced the indictment through. And the name of that chief prosecutor was, of course, Jin Yong-hwa.
After all that, he had the nerve to send me a summons instead of withdrawing the charges and groveling at my feet?
Well then, shall we play with him properly?
When the police or prosecutors issue a summons, there's no legal obligation to appear at the exact time they specify. Whether you're a witness, a suspect, or a complainant, a summons is merely an invitation to meet at a particular time. Of course, showing up on time might earn you points with the investigator or prosecutor, but Jin Yong-hwa had made his hostility perfectly clear. There was no reason for me to accommodate him.
I'm willing to be flexible with people who come to me with their heads bowed, but I have no mercy for those who come looking for a fight. That said, I had no intention of delaying the appearance date either. Doing so could give them an excuse to request an arrest warrant. Besides, Seok Dong-hoon's trial date was fast approaching, so it was better to wrap up the Daebong Bio matter beforehand.
After briefly considering whether there was anything urgent at Junggyeongbon, I concluded there wasn't and decided to head to the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office today. Arriving early for a prosecutor's summons isn't legally problematic, but it is perfectly suited to throwing the assigned prosecutor off their rhythm.
While getting ready for work, I picked up my phone and called the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office directly. After being transferred a few times, I was soon connected to Jin Yong-hwa himself.
"Good morning. I'm calling regarding the summons I received as a suspect in the Daebong Bio stock manipulation case."
"Ah, yes. Hello. The suspect interviews for that case are scheduled for the day after tomorrow. Did you call because you had questions before appearing?"
"If I had a question, it would be why you're branding an innocent person as a suspect and dragging them to the prosecutors' office. I'll ask that in person."
Jin Yong-hwa's voice rose over the phone, clearly irritated by my provocation.
"Whether someone is guilty or not is for me, the prosecutor, to decide."
"I'm a lawyer myself. Since when do prosecutors in this country determine guilt or innocence? A suspect is presumed innocent until a final conviction. Are you unfamiliar with the principle of presumption of innocence?"
Eventually, the typical "let's check the hierarchy" game came out—the one that surfaces whenever Jin Yong-hwa loses an argument.
"Hey! What class were you in at the Judicial Research and Training Institute?"
Having failed the bar exam eleven times, Jin Yong-hwa's class year was bound to be much later than his age would suggest. The way he was shouting made me wonder if he had a complex about it.
"I didn't go through the Institute. I graduated from law school and passed the bar exam."
"What? Law school? Even if you're from the final class of the old bar exam, the difference between us is—!"
"You little punk. How dare you—did they not teach you how to speak to your seniors at law school?"
"I don't recall learning anything that outdated at school. Since you've decided to lecture me, shall we meet sooner? I'm on my way to the Southern District Prosecutors' Office right now. How about it?"
"Fine. Come. If you're walking into the tiger's den of your own accord, why would I stop you? Before I even interrogate you as a suspect, I'll teach you proper respect for your senior and show you exactly what happens when you defy a sitting prosecutor."
I couldn't help but chuckle at his bravado.
"There's a saying, isn't there? To catch a tiger, you have to go into its den. If not, never mind. I'll see you soon. Oh, one more thing."
"What now?"
"I didn't tell you my name, did I?"
"There are too many suspects in the Daebong Bio case for me to remember every name. Just come."
This guy really couldn't put the pieces together, could he?
"Are there so many lawyers among the suspects that you can't even remember their names? I'm Kwon Ho-gyun, Head of the Central Management Division at QS Group."
Click.
I hung up immediately, giving him no time to respond.
As I left the penthouse and drove out of the parking garage, I wondered what Jin Yong-hwa was thinking right now. How much had he panicked after hearing my social status—one he could never overcome with mere "senior in the legal world" credentials? Maybe the fact that he was soon to marry into the JB Group had given him some comfort. But what would he think once he learned how thoroughly his future wife, Jang Mi-ye, had already been stripped bare by me?
I had planned it that way, and upon reflection, not revealing my name at first had been a stroke of genius. If I'd disclosed my identity from the start, he would have desperately tried to delay the meeting, whether by groveling or any other means. Instead, Jin Yong-hwa had clung to his pathetic pride as a senior in the legal field and was now forced to face me completely unprepared. My tactic of advancing the appearance date to disrupt his rhythm had worked perfectly.
When I arrived at the Southern District Prosecutors' Office and was about to enter the main building after parking, someone was waiting to greet me. From what he said, he was an investigator from Jin Yong-hwa's office. Did prosecutors usually send their own staff to escort suspects? Not in my experience as a prosecutor. They simply told you which floor and room to go to. The fact that this investigator had come all the way to the front of the building meant Jin Yong-hwa was feeling considerable pressure.
Following the investigator into Jin Yong-hwa's office, I was amused to see the chief prosecutor himself bowing at the waist toward the suspect.
"Welcome, Division Head. I apologize for the rudeness during our call. There were several other lawyers among the suspects who were much junior to me, so I was mistaken."
"I didn't come here as the Head of QS Group's Central Management Division. I came as a suspect because you summoned me."
At my curt reply, Jin Yong-hwa sighed and glanced toward the corner.
"Understood. Please have a seat so we can talk."
I sat in the indicated chair, accepted the coffee the investigator poured, and was sipping it when Jin Yong-hwa approached with an armful of documents. He pretended to flip through them before asking,
"You've heard that Daebong Bio's trading has been suspended and that delisting is imminent, haven't you?"
"Well, I already knew the trading suspension had happened. But delisting as well?"
Jin Yong-hwa sighed at my feigned ignorance.
"Given the current situation, it looks like it will be delisted. Yet you sold all your shares just three days before the suspension?"
"That's correct. I got lucky. The stock price was rising in a way that didn't seem normal, so I checked through QS Group's information network and received an opinion that Daebong Bio wasn't a legitimate company. I won't deny that I took that into account."
"So you're saying you had no involvement whatsoever in the Daebong Bio stock manipulation?"
I shrugged and countered,
"You must have evidence of a crime, otherwise why would you summon a suspect? Surely you wouldn't claim you sent the summons by mistake, confusing me with another lawyer?"
Thud.
Jin Yong-hwa slammed the documents shut and got to the point.
"I'll be honest. I only recently received the files from the previous investigation team and have just finished reviewing them. So far, I haven't found any evidence that Division Head Kwon Ho-gyun was involved in the Daebong Bio stock manipulation."
"Then why did you call me here?"
"Regardless, the Daebong Bio case is now in my hands. So I'd like to make you a proposal, Division Head Kwon—no, Counselor Kwon."
If he had something to say, he should just say it. Why the theatrics?
"This proposal wouldn't happen to be that I withdraw as defense counsel in the case where you're the trial prosecutor, would it?"
Jin Yong-hwa met my gaze directly, as if he had nothing left to lose.
"Yes. That's correct. If you step down from the Criminal Organization Formation case, I'll completely remove your name from the Daebong Bio stock manipulation case. I can promise you that."
"Is this how you normally handle things?"
Caught off guard by my sudden attack, Jin Yong-hwa asked,
"Pardon?"
"You, as a prosecutor, should know better than anyone that judicial bargaining isn't legal in this country. And this isn't even negotiating with the defendant—you're trying to force the defendant's lawyer into becoming a suspect just to make a deal?"
"That's not what this is."
"Oh, but it is exactly that. Let me be clear. The Daebong Bio case and Mr. Seok Dong-hoon's case are completely separate, and in both cases, the suspects or defendants you've named have committed no crime."
At my answer, Jin Yong-hwa rested his elbows on the desk and placed a hand on his forehead, glaring at me.
"So you're saying you want to go head-to-head with a sitting prosecutor?"
Pfft.
Head-to-head, he says. Against someone who never backed down even when facing Kwon Seong-gyun and Kwon Je-gyun? Come to think of it, his future wife Jang Mi-ye had used the exact same phrase once and ended up running out of the car in tears. If he wanted to challenge me head-on, he'd need to bring at least Chairman Kwon Byung-do and Chairman Jang Iksu.
"Should I interpret that as you, Prosecutor Jin Yong-hwa, requesting a head-to-head confrontation with QS Group? Are you confident?"
Thud.
Jin Yong-hwa's head dropped toward the desk before slowly rising again. He looked at me with a pitiful expression and asked once more,
"What exactly do you stand to gain by defending that good-for-nothing Seok Dong-hoon? Just drop that case and I'll clear your name from the Daebong Bio case as well. Not even a suspension of indictment—I'll give you a non-prosecution disposition."
If he'd come to me with this submissive attitude from the beginning, maybe. But now, I had no desire to show him any mercy.
"You're trying to pin a crime on me—a lawyer—and in exchange for a non-prosecution, you want me to sell out my client? Earlier you didn't even know the principle of presumption of innocence, and now it seems you need a refresher on legal ethics as well? Current. Sitting. Prosecutor. Sir."