Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 55

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Past and Present (1)
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae closed the door to the District Prosecutor’s office.
Then, with anxious eyes, he exhaled a tense breath.
‘Sigh….’
Soon, the sound of slaps echoed from within the office—crack, crack.
One, two, three, four!
The brutality of those sounds was so severe that Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae, listening from outside, had to close his eyes.
And finally, Kim Yun-hwan’s anguished cry burst forth.
“Ah, Father! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”
A grown man pleading like a child.
But Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun was not someone who would show mercy.
Whatever he was striking with, loud banging sounds continued to ring out.
And moments later, with a ‘click’, the office door opened and Kim Yun-hwan stumbled out.
His cheeks were not merely red but purple from the beating, and all the buttons on his white shirt had been torn off.
“Are you alright?”
“…Yes.”
He answered, but his voice was mournful.
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae patted Kim Yun-hwan’s back and spoke.
“Look on the bright side.”
A mere prosecutor had arrested the son of the Gangwon District Prosecutor’s office chief.
Without any prior notice, based solely on the testimony of a hooligan arrested for property damage, he had swiftly requested a warrant and processed the case.
Moreover, the media had learned of it in that short span of time.
It was truly insane.
From Chief Prosecutor Jo Yong-jun’s perspective, it might appear as though Kim Yun-hwan had orchestrated the entire plan from the beginning.
Had his father not been Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun, Kim Yun-hwan would likely already be on his knees in Gangwon Province, desperately begging for forgiveness.
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae continued, patting Kim Yun-hwan’s shoulder.
“The Prosecutor General will cover for you.”
That was what they believed.
But….
“Kim Yun-hwan? Why does he like women so much? Isn’t this a disease?”
Criminal Division 2 of the Gangwon District Prosecutor’s Office.
Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon was reading through Kim Yun-hwan’s file, which Chief Prosecutor Jo Yong-jun had investigated.
But it was all stories about meeting women.
Meeting here, meeting there, and even….
“Why was he lurking around the university freshman orientation?”
“He was holding onto the students and giving special lectures, apparently.”
At a prosecutor’s remark, Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon let out a scoff.
“Him?”
Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon shook his head with a look of contempt and tossed the documents he had been holding aside.
Then he slowly gazed ahead.
Seo Jin and the prosecutors from Criminal Division 2 were seated in front of me.
“You understand, but this alone won’t bring down Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun. So I’d like to establish clear guidelines. How far should we set our target?”
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s influence within the Prosecutor’s Office knew no bounds.
He had connections not only in politics and business, but also superiors pulling strings above and subordinates pushing from below—all of them elite-track graduates.
If we got too greedy, we could end up exiled.
Then Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon’s gaze fell on Seo Jin.
“What would you prefer?”
“I’m not sure.”
Seo Jin wanted to stay quiet.
In their eyes, Seo Jin was a relative of Kim Young-jun and Kim Yun-hwan.
And Seo Jin was the youngest here.
I’d rather listen quietly than speak up, but Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon laid out the stage for me.
The other prosecutors waited for Seo Jin’s answer.
“I’d like to set two goals.”
“What are they?”
“First, to bring the case back under our jurisdiction.”
The prosecutors nodded.
This was something that happened in our territory.
We couldn’t stand those Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office bastards coming here and throwing their weight around.
“And?”
“I’d like Kim Yun-hwan to gain some experience in Dongnam County.”
Han Jung-ah, who had been quiet, suddenly burst out laughing. “Pffft!”
“Kim, are you saying you want to send your cousin into exile?”
That’s exactly what it was.
Sending him into exile.
But saying it so bluntly seemed a bit harsh.
“No, sir. The Dongnam coast is so beautiful. And the raw fish there is delicious.”
The other prosecutors chuckled.
“What a thoughtful younger brother. The winter sea there is truly a work of art. When you sit on the beach and drink soju, you can’t help but go ‘Ahhh!'”
“Right. If it’s a place like that, you should definitely show it to your cousin.”
“When Kim Yun-hwan goes to Dongnam later, you have to introduce him to a good raw fish restaurant. Got it?”
Then Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon clapped his hands together, taking control of the mood.
His eyes then shifted to one side.
In the direction of his gaze sat a prosecutor with his hair neatly parted in a 2-to-8 ratio.
“Prosecutor Ju, you came from Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, right?”
“Yes.”
“Spread the word that Kim Seo-jin is being ostracized here.”
They were trying to attack Kim Yun-hwan.
But Seo Jin was his cousin.
Inevitably, we would have to face each other.
Especially when meeting at family gatherings, blushing would look unseemly.
So Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon was trying to make it appear as though I had nothing to do with this team.
Prosecutor Ju nodded.
Then he opened his mouth, looking at me.
“Because of Prosecutor Jo Yong-jun, Seo Jin has found himself in an awkward position—even avoids the same department. We can spread rumors like that, right? Is there anything else you need?”
“No, nothing.”
“Good, then Seo Jin is ostracized.”
Prosecutor Ju pulled out his notebook and wrote down “Seo Jin ostracized, rumors, phone calls.”
I knew it was all fabricated, but watching it being documented gave me an oddly unsettling feeling.
Once the two finished their conversation, Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon turned toward Prosecutor Han Jung-ah.
“Han, have you made contact?”
Prosecutor Han Jung-ah had been assigned to handle the media.
Apparently she had many journalists she was close with, thanks to her pleasant personality.
But she shook her head.
“Orders have already come down.”
“Orders?”
“Don’t use Kim Yun-hwan’s name.”
“Hah… that was fast.”
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun moved swiftly.
He was wary of Prosecutor General Jo Yong-jun.
So he began meeting with the presidents of various media outlets and portal sites, sharing drinks and securing media control.
“My son is the one who laid hands on Prosecutor General Jo Yong-jun’s son. I’m sure his side sees it as an affront. But is catching a murderer such a grave offense? I’m not sure what kind of agitation they might attempt, but I would appreciate it if you could turn a blind eye to a young man’s passionate affair.”
Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun was virtually assured to become the next or next-next Prosecutor General.
Such a man bowed respectfully before these presidents.
And in their minds, it was over something ‘trivial’—a woman.
The media presidents thought it was fine either way.
“We could run an article through a smaller outlet. Should we meet with them?”
Prosecutor Han Jung-ah clicked her pen and opened her mouth, but Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon shook his head.
“Small outlets won’t work. It’ll be buried soon. Don’t waste effort on futile moves.”
“Then the public opinion campaign has failed?”
To deal any damage at all, the media needed to sway public opinion.
But with the media refusing to budge, there was nothing to be done.
As heavy sighs fell from everyone’s lips, I spoke up.
“Don’t you think Kim Yun-hwan’s story would suit a pamphlet better than a news article?”
“…A pamphlet?”
Many people trusted pamphlets circulating in financial circles more than articles written by the press.
“And if it’s a pamphlet involving a famous celebrity, its impact would be greater than any article.”
It would saturate the entire nation within days.
But there was a problem here too.
“If Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun is involved on the financial side, they’ll likely hesitate.”
Seo Jin shook his head.
“The goal is to apply pressure under the guise of a public opinion campaign. Person A, Person B, Person C… An ordinary person wouldn’t know who they are, but Kim Yun-hwan will recognize that the content relates to him.”
Kim Yun-hwan was acutely sensitive to Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s moods.
He would try to prevent the rumors from reaching Prosecutor General Kim Young-jun’s ears.
Without fail.
“He’ll rush. He’ll make a mistake.”
If I seized that moment, I could properly exploit his weakness.
Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon clapped his hands together.
“Good. Prosecutor Han Jung-ah, probe the rumors.”
“Yes.”
Prosecutor Han Jung-ah answered briskly.
Chief Prosecutor Ji Se-heon’s instructions continued.
*
*
*
While the blade against Kim Yun-hwan was being quietly sharpened, Seo Jin was heading to Seoul on Saturday.
To stop by home after so long and to meet Do Gwang-hyun, whom I’d asked to launder money.
And.
“The laundering is complete. That’s 7.3 billion after fees.”
It was a coffee shop on the first floor in Gangnam, Seoul.
Do Gwang-hyun’s appearance had changed considerably since we last met.
His gaunt frame remained the same, but he’d gotten a haircut and bathed—he looked neat and presentable.
As Seo Jin nodded, Do Gwang-hyun continued.
“I created a fictional character, a Korean-American businessman named Jayden Kim.”
“Jayden Kim?”
“Yes, I thought a fictional persona would be necessary for convenient use. Since the money started as art and has traveled around the globe several times, even the Prosecution Service’s grandfather couldn’t trace it. So you can use it freely.”
Do Gwang-hyun was a connection I’d made when I was Seo Jun-kyung.
Why a man who’d been admitted to Korea’s top university became a con artist.
Do Gwang-hyun’s parents ran a small to mid-sized company.
It wasn’t conglomerate-level, but they lived comfortably and had a harmonious household.
But his family collapsed overnight.
A vicious private equity fund began its hunt with gritted teeth.
Do Gwang-hyun’s father couldn’t escape their grasp and eventually faced investigation on charges of breach of fiduciary duty.
Breach of fiduciary duty: failing to perform one’s duties for personal gain and causing financial damage to the state or a company.
The crime of breach of fiduciary duty in business is an inescapable blade for public officials and businessmen alike.
Even without evidence of money changing hands, it’s a matter of interpretation—hang it on the ear and it becomes an earring, hang it on the nose and it becomes a nose ring.
To give an extreme example, even if person A bought something from company B because the product was good….
“An underperforming product was purchased, causing damage to the company”—one could face investigation under such charges.
In other words, depending on the investigative agency’s discretion, they could beat you down.
Do Gwang-hyun’s father suffered humiliation, and he passed away during the investigation process.
That’s why Do Gwang-hyun’s revenge is directed at the Private Equity Fund and the prosecutors who were involved in that investigation.
Seo Jin agreed to help Do Gwang-hyun with that revenge.
And up to this point, he’s someone I can trust.
“You’ve done well.”
“But what are you going to do?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re going to pull more money, aren’t you?”
7.3 billion won is an astronomical sum that ordinary people would never touch.
But it’s pocket change compared to my ultimate goal.
I’ll need to keep extracting more going forward.
“I do have something in mind.”
“What is it?”
Seo Jin was about to explain the plan to Do Gwang-hyun.
But then.
“Wait a moment.”
Seo Jin raised his hand slightly and stopped speaking.
A familiar face appeared outside the window.
A receding hairline, a style that screamed late forties.
It was unmistakably Investigator Lee Dong-young.
‘Why is he in Seoul?’
Investigator Lee Dong-young was also someone who worked in Seoul.
His presence here wasn’t unusual in itself.
But Investigator Lee Dong-young’s behavior was suspicious.
He checked his watch with an anxious expression, pulled out a notebook from his pocket, and kept reading it over and over.
“Sorry, let’s talk later. Someone’s waiting for me.”
“Yes?”
Seo Jin apologized to Do Gwang-hyun and left the Coffee Shop, following Investigator Lee Dong-young.
Investigator Lee Dong-young kept circling the same area repeatedly.
He was looking at his notebook, glancing around, searching for something.
It would be easier with a mobile phone, but he struggled with smartphones, so there was no help for it.
Then Investigator Lee Dong-young suddenly turned into an alley.
Seo Jin continued following Investigator Lee Dong-young.
Investigator Lee Dong-young let out a sigh.
‘Where is it?’
He’d heard that Jin Yun-hee, the administrative official who had filed sexual assault charges against Prosecutor Seo Jun-kyung, had opened a Pojangmacha this time.
‘There are too many strange things about this.’
When they worked together, she was always strapped for cash.
She’d complained more than once about her officetel management fees being overdue.
But after Prosecutor Seo Jun-kyung’s death, she quit her administrative position and immediately opened a Coffee Shop.
‘And then what?’
Had the first coffee shop succeeded, who knows what might have happened.
But even to Lee Dong-young, an investigator with little knowledge of coffee, the business hardly seemed to be thriving.
‘Yet she’s opening another shop?’
Jin Yun-hee was squandering hundreds of millions of won in just a short span of time.
As an investigator who had spent years at crime scenes, everything about her behavior felt deeply unsettling.
‘I can feel it.’
Lee Dong-young was certain that behind Jin Yun-hee stood someone who had framed Prosecutor Seo Jun-kyung and driven him to his death.
And then.
‘Found it.’
Not far from the main road, a modest but neatly designed pojangmacha caught his eye.
Jin Yun-hee was there, opening a parasol.
That was when.
‘What’s this?’
Lee Dong-young sensed a presence directly behind him.
He turned his head slowly to look back.
‘Huh?’
Seo Jin stood there.
With eyes just as terrifying as Prosecutor Seo Jun-kyung’s, glaring at Jin Yun-hee.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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