FSS Governor: "Statute of limitations expired, difficult to re-investigate" 'Min Joong-ki stock suspicion'

Opposition Party: "Min Joong-ki must be investigated" · Ruling Party: "Attempt to shake up special prosecutor"… Clashes at FSS inspection

Lee Chan-jin, Governor of the Financial Supervisory Service, answering a question (Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Hwang Kwang-mo = Lee Chan-jin, Governor of the Financial Supervisory Service, attends the 2025 National Assembly Audit of the National Policy Committee held at the National Assembly on the 21st and answers questions from lawmakers. 2025.10.21 hkmpooh@yna.co.kr

The ruling and opposition parties clashed on the 21st during the National Policy Committee's audit of the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) at the National Assembly over suspicions of insider trading by Special Prosecutor Min Joong-ki.

The People Power Party attacked, demanding that the FSS investigate Special Prosecutor Min, while the Democratic Party of Korea counterattacked, claiming the opposition's offensive was an attempt to destabilize the special prosecutor to protect Mrs. Kim Keon-hee.

Previously, Special Prosecutor Min, who is investigating allegations related to Mrs. Kim, was accused of making over 150 million won in profit by selling shares of NeoSemitech, a solar material company, around 2010 when he was a high court division judge (viceministerial level), raising suspicions of using non-public information.

Lee Yang-soo, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, argued, "Special Prosecutor Min, leveraging his relationship as a friend of the owner of NeoSemitech, sold all of his shares just before delisting and made hundreds of millions of won in profit. If we check the trading history just a week before delisting, it's easy to see who was contacted beforehand to sell."

Kim Jae-seop, also from the same party, stated, "If the special prosecutor investigating economic crimes has suspicions about stock trading, will the public accept the investigation results?" and added, "Special Prosecutor Min should be summoned (to the National Policy Committee audit), and a forum should be provided for him to explain directly."

Lee Heon-seung, another lawmaker, urged, "If Special Prosecutor Min, who investigates stock manipulation, made profits from stock trading using non-public information, it is an insult to the public." He further demanded, "Special Prosecutor Min should explain the circumstances of his stock purchases and the timing of his sales, and the FSS should investigate."

In response, Park Beom-kye, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party, retorted, "It seems like an audit of Special Prosecutor Min Joong-ki, not the FSS audit." He questioned, "Bringing up a 15-year-old incident to shake up the special prosecutor is ultimately to protect Kim Keon-hee, isn't it?"

Regarding the Sambu Engineering & Construction stock manipulation case, which was the first case Special Prosecutor Min indicted after his inauguration, Park stated, "As former Governor Lee Bok-hyun himself revealed, the Sambu Engineering & Construction stock manipulation case is the most important case held by the FSS." He argued, "An FSS investigation team is dispatched to the special prosecutor investigating the Sambu Engineering & Construction case. Shaking up Special Prosecutor Min is shaking up the FSS."

In response to the opposition lawmakers' calls for an investigation, Lee Chan-jin, Governor of the FSS, replied, "We investigated in 2010 and took measures to prosecute 13 individuals and notify the prosecution." He added, "Given that the statute of limitations expired a long time ago, it is likely difficult to re-investigate."

He further stated, "Although there are limitations due to the statute of limitations, I will look into it if there are aspects that need to be examined." Yonhap News