The Joint Investigation Team at the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office has concluded its eight-month probe into alleged customs involvement in drug smuggling, clearing all suspects of wrongdoing.
The investigation team announced Monday that it had decided not to refer 14 individuals for prosecution, including former Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon, former Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok, and 11 customs officials. Combined with seven customs employees and eight senior police and customs officials previously cleared in December, all individuals connected to the case have now been exonerated.
The probe centered on allegations raised by Police Inspector Baek Hae-ryong in October 2023, who claimed that Han and Lee had obstructed his investigation into a "drug gate" scandal through personnel changes at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office. However, investigators determined that the personnel reshuffle in question was part of a regular biannual rotation completed in September, before Baek's allegations emerged.
Claims that the presidential office had interfered with the investigation were also found to be baseless. According to the investigation team, the case had not even been reported to the presidential office at the time Baek alleged obstruction in September 2023.
The joint team was established in June 2024 to investigate allegations that government officials were involved in a criminal organization's smuggling of 121.5 kilograms of drugs between January and September 2023.
The investigation was marked by disputes over its scope and authority. Then-Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office Chief Prosecutor Im Eun-jeong formed a separate "Baek Hae-ryong Team" with independent investigative authority, though Baek complained he was denied access to the Criminal Justice Information System.
When interim findings in December indicated the allegations lacked substance, Baek publicly released search and seizure warrants targeting customs and prosecutors, leading to a public dispute with Chief Prosecutor Im. After his assignment ended last month, Baek sparked further controversy by removing approximately 5,000 pages of original case records to Hwagok Police Substation.
The investigation team concluded that Baek's claims lacked factual basis and that his conduct during the probe violated investigative principles and caused social disruption.