Standing Special Counsel Begins 90-Day Probe Into Sealed Cash-Banderole Loss and Coupang Non-Indictment Pressure Claims

 Standing special counsel Ahn Kwon-seop has opened a dual investigation into two politically sensitive prosecutorial controversies: allegations that banderoles and stickers from sealed Bank of Korea cash bundles were deliberately lost, and claims of undue pressure to drop prosecution in a Coupang Fulfillment Services (CFS) severance-pay case. The standing special counsel system is a Korea-specific mechanism that allows the justice minister to trigger an independent investigative team for designated cases, with a legally capped probe period and a structure that includes assistant special counsels, seconded prosecutors, and special investigators.

At a plaque-hanging ceremony on December 6 at the special counsel’s office in Seoul’s Seocho-gu, Ahn said he felt a “heavy responsibility” and would work to establish the facts from an objective standpoint, adding that he would reach an appropriate decision based on the findings. He also said both cases would be investigated with equal weight, rejecting any hierarchy of priority.

The first case centers on allegations that the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office intentionally lost banderoles and stickers attached to sealed Bank of Korea cash bundles seized in December last year from the home of Jeon Seong-bae, known as the “Geonjin shaman.” The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office previously concluded, after an internal inspection, that the incident was a working-level mistake and found no evidence of intent or instructions from senior officials.

The second case involves claims that former Bucheon branch chief prosecutor Um Hee-jun and others pressured officials to issue a non-prosecution decision in an unpaid severance-pay case involving CFS, Coupang’s logistics subsidiary. The prosecutor who handled the case, Moon Ji-seok, testified at a National Assembly audit in October that “guidelines for a no-charges conclusion were conveyed,” alleging direct pressure from top local prosecutors at the time.

Under the law, the investigation can run for 60 days and be extended once by 30 days with presidential approval, for a maximum of 90 days. Ahn has appointed two assistant special counsels and assembled a team of nearly 70 investigators, including seconded prosecutors and special investigators.

Um’s side has pushed back, asking the standing special counsel to investigate Moon for false accusation. Um’s representatives argue that Moon is attempting to deflect scrutiny over allegations that he conducted a search and seizure without following pre-reporting rules, and that his claims of external pressure are unfounded.

For overseas observers, the core question is not only which account proves credible, but whether the standing special counsel’s probe will reaffirm the earlier internal conclusion in the Bank of Korea cash-banderole case and clarify the factual basis of alleged prosecutorial interference in the Coupang investigation. The outcome is likely to shape public confidence in prosecutorial accountability and the perceived independence of Korea’s high-profile investigative mechanisms.