Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 70

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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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A Stab in the Back (3)
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“What is this!”
In an upscale room salon in Gangnam, there were no hostesses.
Only Jin Taek-yong, the PD in charge of the program “25 Hours,” and Jo Woo-jae, the Chief Prosecutor, were present.
Jin Taek-yong’s eyes widened as he continued speaking.
“We even put up a pop-up notification about receiving a tip! But what happens when you wrap up the case like this! I blocked out two weeks of programming based on what you told me! And now, look at this!”
Jin Taek-yong slammed his phone down on the table.
A video immediately played.
It was from an anonymous informant.
The serial killer Kim Tae-kyung was being dragged in by Kim Yun-hwan.
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae waved his hand dismissively.
“I didn’t expect him to be caught this quickly either.”
After hearing what Kim Yun-hwan said, I brought in the PD.
But the moment the arrangement was made, the suspect was already arrested.
The dramatic effect would have been perfect if the arrest had come after the broadcast aired and captured public attention, but Kim Yun-hwan was impatient.
‘Frustrating bastard.’
Because of that, Jin Taek-yong, who had arranged the exclusive broadcast, became like a dog chasing chickens.
It was supposed to be an exclusive broadcast, but with the suspect arrested, all eyes turned here.
Now everyone and their mother would be frequenting the Prosecutor’s Office, focusing on this case.
The exclusivity was meaningless now—it had become a race to see who could get the new information first.
Jin Taek-yong loosened his necktie and spoke.
“Chief Prosecutor, let’s do this. We’ll keep the broadcast going.”
“….”
“We’ll focus on the past and frame it so that the reason the suspect wasn’t caught earlier was due to the police’s negligent initial investigation.”
“….”
“We’ll end part one that way, and in part two, we’ll spotlight it in a documentary format about Prosecutor Kim Yun-hwan. A passionate prosecutor who relentlessly unearths a forgotten case.”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae brought his glass to his lips and nodded.
“Do it that way.”
“But I need one promise from you.”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae’s eyes shifted toward Jin Taek-yong.
Jin Taek-yong smiled.
“Share some information with us—without the others knowing.”
“….”
“After all, the broadcast falling apart is the Prosecutor’s Office’s fault, right? And depending on how we season the story, Prosecutor Kim Yun-hwan could become a hero or a villain.”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae let out a short laugh.
“That’s blackmail?”
“Oh, how could I blackmail you, Chief Prosecutor? It’s a negotiation.”
In that instant, Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae hurled his glass directly at Producer Jin Taek-yong.
Crash!
The glass grazed Producer Jin Taek-yong and shattered against the wall.
Caught off guard, Producer Jin Taek-yong blinked.
But only for a moment.
His face twisted with rage.
“What the hell are you doing!”
The media wielded power too.
Politicians crumbled under their hands, and the Prosecution Service’s name became tainted with vulgar epithets—”sex-hunting prosecutors,” “bribe-taking prosecutors.”
There was no reason to fear a prosecutor.
“How about we drop this and move on?”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae sat in silence, unresponsive.
Producer Jin Taek-yong laughed at the sight, a low, satisfied chuckle.
He thought his words had landed.
“Chief Prosecutor, let’s handle this amicably.”
But then Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae’s eyes—which had been smiling so pleasantly—turned savage.
“Producer Jin, have you met many prosecutors? Do I look like an idiot to you, the Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office?”
As Producer Jin Taek-yong flinched at the menacing tone, Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae continued slowly.
“Stop laughing. Shut your mouth. And listen. That’s not how you threaten someone.”
“What?”
“Why do you think I contacted you? What made you think I was impressed? If you have a brain, use it.”
Producer Jin Taek-yong’s face went pale.
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae lit a cigarette and spoke.
“Unknown actresses providing sexual favors. What were their names again? There were so many I can’t even remember. Anyway, they were minors, weren’t they? I have their names on my desk. And didn’t you mention your daughter is a high school senior? What have you been doing with her friends? Ring any bells?”
Producer Jin Taek-yong’s face went ashen, his lips trembling violently.
“C-Chief Prosecutor?”
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae picked up an ice bucket with an expressionless gaze and poured liquor into it.
One bottle, then two.
He pushed the bucket, now brimming with alcohol, toward Producer Jin Taek-yong and opened his mouth.
“If you understand, shut up and drink. And bring me the footage I want.”
The bucket sloshed with so much liquor it was dizzying just to look at.
But Producer Jin Taek-yong had only one response available.
“I-I’ll drink it.”
Producer Jin Taek-yong picked up the bucket and began gulping it down.
His dress shirt soaked through with alcohol, and he gagged repeatedly.
Chief Prosecutor Jo Woo-jae watched the scene unfold, crossing his legs.
He lit his cigarette and spoke softly.
“Producer Jin, let’s keep things civil and not embarrass ourselves.”
Meanwhile.
Seo Jin and Reporter Lee Eun-ha were heading back to Chuncheon.
Lee Eun-ha, who had been staring blankly, shifted her gaze toward me.
“So what happens now?”
Lee Eun-ha sent a message to Jin Taek-yong through a friend—all the photographs and footage she’d captured.
Every single one.
It must have been a difficult decision.
“Thank you.”
“What?”
“Thank you for trusting me. I’ll trust you too.”
At my sudden words, Lee Eun-ha laughed awkwardly.
She’d never felt the weight of trust quite like this before.
“Why are you throwing such a fastball at me? Really, I….”
Lee Eun-ha turned back to the window to hide her flushed face.
I smiled slightly as I watched her.
Those in power always want to control the media.
Because they can manipulate the people through it.
But throughout history, few wielders of power have truly held the media in their grasp.
They are the final survivors of a political world filled with betrayal and greed.
The powerful and the media can only doubt each other.
-When will I be abandoned?
-When will they stab me in the back?
Their relationships are built on coercion and mutual benefit.
But I intended to build genuine trust with Lee Eun-ha.
A relationship I could truly rely on.
I needed a journalist like that.
“Don’t regret missing this story. I’ll bring you a proper exclusive soon.”
“I promise.”
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Once again, I entered the office with my arms full of food.
Tiramisu cake and coffee.
The assistant’s eyes widened in something close to alarm.
He should be pleased when someone brings food.
“…Don’t tell me you’re working late again today?”
“I seem like a bad guy, don’t I? It’s just a snack. Please, help yourself.”
“It’s not poisoned, is it?”
“It’s clean.”
The assistant picked up the coffee with eyes full of suspicion.
That’s when Lee Dong-young approached me.
“The results from what you mentioned the other day have come in.”
Seo Jin asked Lee Dong-young to look into Kim Tae-kyung’s vehicle insurance records.
This was the document he’d brought back.
“Thank you.”
Seo Jin immediately unfolded the papers.
He scanned through the contents quickly.
‘There it is.’
Just as I’d expected, a history of short-term policies appeared.
All under Yoon Min-woo’s name.
Seo Jin moved to his desk with the documents in hand.
He cross-referenced them with the incident date.
They matched perfectly.
‘Damn….’
Seo Jin exhaled a tense breath.
No physical evidence. And a case from three years ago at that.
Rain and snow had fallen countless times, and the crime scene had been compromised.
I knew who the culprit was, but there was no way to arrest him—a frustrating situation.
But finally, I’d found a thread to pull.
And through this thread, I would tighten the noose around Yoon Min-woo’s neck.
Seo Jin tapped the documents absently with his fingers, lost in thought, then picked up his phone.
“Let me check something.”
Coffee Shop in Front of District Prosecutors’ Office.
Not a franchise, but famous for its delicious cookies.
Seo Jin met Lee So-hee there.
“I’ll get cake.”
“Whatever you want.”
“And cookies.”
“Sure.”
Lee So-hee sat down at the table with a tray holding strawberry cake, cookies, and coffee.
She looked genuinely happy, probably because of all the sweet treats.
Lee So-hee pierced the cake with her fork and took a bite before speaking.
“So what’s this about?”
“Did you see that they caught the culprit in the Dongnam serial murder case involving middle school girls?”
A prosecutor couldn’t possibly be unaware of something that was trending everywhere.
Lee So-hee nodded.
Seo Jin immediately leaned in and spoke in a hushed tone.
“That’s not the real culprit. Kim Yun-hwan arrested an innocent person.”
“What do you…?”
“I’ll explain later. But first, I need to ask you for a favor.”
Lee So-hee quietly studied Seo Jin’s expression.
She was bewildered by his sudden strange claim, but Seo Jin wasn’t talking nonsense.
Utterly serious.
“What do you mean?”
“Become a star. Just stand in front of the camera for a moment.”
“Huh?”
Lee So-hee hesitated.
She had to stay quiet and avoid drawing attention.
It was her mother’s request.
And that request had begun with pressure from Baek Ki-ho.
Lee So-hee opened her mouth.
“I….”
Just then, her phone on the table vibrated with a soft buzz.
The caller ID showed her mother, and what her mother had to say was predictable.
Lee So-hee bit her lower lip hard.
And she nodded.
“I’ll do it. It’s just for a moment, right?”
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-The Prosecution Service has arrested a suspect, Mr. Kim, in connection with the murder of a middle school girl….
The glow from the television screen illuminated the dark room.
The sound of snacking echoed from within.
It was Yoon Min-woo, Kim Tae-kyung’s friend.
His gaze remained fixed on the television as he ate his snack.
With vacant eyes.
“Tae-kyung….”
A weak voice drifted through.
The screen changed, and Kim Yun-hwan appeared standing at the podium.
Kim Yun-hwan leaned toward the microphone and spoke with conviction.
-The Prosecution Service has no intention of compromising with this brutal murderer. We investigated this case with the determination to pursue the perpetrator to the very end….
Kim Yun-hwan’s voice was confident.
The man who fabricated the case was acting as if he were the protagonist of the world.
Unaware that Seo Jin was pursuing him from behind.
And Yoon Min-woo muttered while watching Kim Yun-hwan.
“That’s why South Korea is such a mess. The real culprit is right here…. And he’s become quite the star, hasn’t he?”
When checking internet articles, they were all filled with praise for Kim Yun-hwan.
-That’s the kind of prosecutor we need.
-He’s not bad looking either.
-I hope he gets it right this time.
-He has a sexual assault conviction? Guys like that shouldn’t be allowed out at all.
-That’s why these things happen when they let them go.
-Trash is trash.
-Our country’s laws are too lenient.
-They say Prosecutor Kim Yun-hwan is doing a proper job. Let’s trust him this time.
Yoon Min-woo grabbed a handful of snacks and brought them to his mouth.
Then he muttered.
“I’m sorry, Tae-kyung… Ugh… I’m sorry.”
His lifelong sucker of a friend had gone back to prison.
Before and now.
“Sorry… I’m really sorry….”
Tears streamed down Yoon Min-woo’s face.
But he wasn’t crying.
He was laughing.
Laughing so hard that tears were pouring out.
“Puhahahaha!”
I hated Kim Tae-kyung’s fake goodness.
Either way was fine.
Either way was fine.
“That’s why he’s a sucker.”
Yoon Min-woo chewed his snacks and changed the channel.
The news he’d been watching had moved on to a different case.
Now I wanted to see Kim Tae-kyung, the suspect in the middle school girl murder case, and finding the channel wasn’t difficult.
Kim Tae-kyung was everywhere.
That was when it happened.
The doorbell rang.
‘I wasn’t expecting anyone….’
Yoon Min-woo moved to the entrance and carefully opened his mouth.
“…Who is it?”
“Prosecutor Seo Jin.”
At the sound of my voice, Yoon Min-woo’s face twisted.
‘Annoying bastard, why are you here again? These types are always like this. Pretending to comfort you with their hypocrisy.’
But Yoon Min-woo’s expression quickly transformed into that of someone about to die of sorrow.
He opened the front door and whimpered.
“Prosecutor….”
Yoon Min-woo grabbed my arm and sobbed.
I gently squeezed his shoulder and patted it affectionately.
“You must be very worried?”
“What will happen to Tae-kyung? Please help him.”
Yoon Min-woo was too busy wiping his tears to see my expression.
My voice was gentle, but my eyes were glaring at him as if I would devour him.
‘Six middle school girls murdered, betrayed your friend, and likely committed other crimes on top of that. You deserve death.’

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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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