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A special counsel team looking into claims of favoritism during the development of the Gongheung District in Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi Province, said on the 10th that the investigation into the late Yangpyeong County official, who died by suicide following the inquiry, was not carried out through forceful means.

The Min Joong-ki Special Prosecution Team, which is overseeing the case, stated, “The special counsel team started examining the deceased at 10:10 a.m. on the 2nd, conducted further questioning with his agreement around 8:50 p.m., and finished by approximately 10:40 p.m.” As per the team, the deceased went through the investigation documents from 11:10 p.m. to 12:52 a.m. the next day.

Previously, the deceased’s legal representative asserted, according to a handwritten note from the deceased, that the investigation concluded at 1:15 a.m. the next day. The special counsel team disputed this, claiming the information was inaccurate.

The team stated, “We allowed three breaks throughout the investigation and made sure the deceased was safely taken back home by having the officer accompany him out of the building following the inquiry.” It also mentioned, “Indirect evidence from external CCTV recordings depicting the deceased leaving confirmed that the investigation was not forced.”

In response to claims of forced false testimony, the special counsel team maintained that there was no necessity to pressure the deceased. They mentioned, “Prior to examining the deceased, we had already obtained similar statements from other officials. Thus, there was no environment of coercion, nor was it required.” The team also claimed that the investigation took place only once and did not include searches or property seizures, highlighting that it was not a coercive inquiry.

Mr. Jeong, who was questioned as a suspect by the special counsel team on the 2nd regarding allegations in the Gongheung District, was discovered deceased in the bathroom of his residence in Yangpyeong-eup, Yangpyeong County, on the 10th. On the same day, Representative Jang Dong-hyeok from the People Power Party held an urgent press conference and revealed a memo written by Mr. Jeong following the investigation. The memo claimed, “The special counsel team’s investigators used persuasion and pressure,” causing a stir. In the memo, Mr. Jeong wrote, “Despite repeated pressured requests for statements and no direct orders from the county mayor, they kept pushing me, making me answer questions I couldn’t even recall. They arbitrarily prepared the statement and forced me to agree.”

The investigative team extended their condolences, saying, “We extend our most heartfelt sympathies to the grieving family.”