Bribery probe stalled

[Anchor]

The Bank of Korea is releasing 50,000 won bills into circulation for the holiday.

Upon closer inspection, you can see the symbols and packaging numbers, and a bundle contains 1,000 bills, totaling 50 million won.

However, this 50 million won bundle is a bit different.

The labeling and method of packaging vary significantly.

This was seized by the prosecution from Jeon Seong-bae, known as 'Geonjin Beopsa', at his home last December.

The 'usage rights' at the top indicate that the money returned to the Bank of Korea after being circulated, and the inspection date at the bottom is three days after the inauguration of former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

When the Bank of Korea supplies money to commercial banks, it goes out in this form, but it is rare for customers to receive it this way.

The prosecution is struggling to trace the source.

Reporter Jeong Hae-joo.

[Report]

The prosecution visited the Bank of Korea for an investigation on the 25th of last month.

They are trying to determine where and from whom Jeon Seong-bae received the 50 million won worth of bundled cash, which is under suspicion of being linked to bribery.

However, the Bank of Korea stated that it is difficult to trace the source and path.

When financial institutions are supplied with currency, the institution's name, payment date, and denomination are recorded, but they do not keep separate records for individually packaged bundles like Jeon's.

The prosecution also questioned Jeon about the source of the funds, but his response was that he "does not remember."

As the source of the bundled cash remains unclear, the whereabouts of the items said to have been given to Jeon by former Unification Church leader Yoon, labeled as "gifts for Mrs. Kim Keon-hee," are also unknown.

Previously, the prosecution conducted searches at the residence of former President Yoon Suk Yeol and the office of Covana Contents, but did not find diamond necklaces or expensive bags.

It has been reported that no decisive clues have been found on the mobile phone of Mrs. Kim, which was secured during the search.

As a result, they are struggling to determine when it would be appropriate to summon Mrs. Kim.

While the investigation is dragging on, voices outside the prosecution are increasingly calling for a special investigation as the only way to properly clarify the suspicions.

The prosecution is expected to summon Yoon and his wife soon to investigate the bribery allegations related to the Unification Church in order to find a breakthrough in the stalled investigation.

This is KBS News, Jeong Hae-joo.