INDICTMENT OF GOV’T OFFICIALS

[Anchor Lead]

Three officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy have been indicted for allegedly erasing data on the Wolseong 1 nuclear reactor, where problems had been detected by the Board of Audit and Inspection. Prosecutors believe the officials deliberately deleted massive digital data on the early closure of the reactor. However, the probe into high-ranking government officials who masterminded it all has made little progress.

[Pkg]

Three officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy who had been investigated for allegedly forging the profitability evaluation of the Wolseong 1 nuclear reactor have been transferred to court. Prosecutors believe they were involved in the destruction of digital files on the Wolseong 1 nuclear reactor, either directly or indirectly. They have been indicted for damaging public digital records and violating the Board of Audit and Inspection Act. The officials are being charged with personally deleting or supervising the deletion of data related to the nuclear reactor in December 2019, shortly before it was submitted to the Board of Audit and Inspection. The erased data has been found to contain 530 files, nearly a hundred more than what was detected during the audit. The erased files were found to include quite a few documents on deals with Cheong Wa Dae. Prosecutors plan to continue the probe into those involved in the scandal. However, sources say there are still no plans to summon high-ranking government officials who allegedly masterminded the scandal, including former trade minister and Cheong Wa Dae secretary.