Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province, announced on the 28th that its civil lawsuit and provisional seizure procedures, aimed at recovering hundreds of billions of won in criminal proceeds unjustly acquired by the Daejang-dong development corruption group, are facing difficulties due to refusals from major domestic law firms.

Yoo Dong-gyu and Kim Man-bae. Jointly reported

The city immediately initiated civil action on the 7th after the prosecution's decision to waive an appeal limited the potential confiscation amount through criminal trials to 47.3 billion won, and the assets previously frozen by the prosecution for the Daejang-dong group were on the verge of being unfrozen.

The city first prioritized provisional seizure applications and approached several major domestic law firms, excluding those representing the defendants in the Daejang-dong development corruption allegations (with Tae Pyeong Yang representing Kim Man-bae, Gwangjang representing Nam Wook, Hwa Woo representing Jeong Young-hak, and YK representing Yoo Dong-gyu), but all refused the representation.

Even the advisory law firm for the Seongnam Urban Development Corporation refused to take the case, making it difficult from the very first step of appointing legal counsel.

The city expressed strong regret, stating, "Despite the public value of 'realizing social justice' being central to the recovery of criminal proceeds, not just a simple lawsuit, the fact that leading domestic law firms have turned their backs on this is a betrayal of the legal profession's social responsibility."

The city recently obtained and began analyzing a list of frozen assets belonging to the Daejang-dong group from the prosecution. However, it has encountered practical challenges, such as the need to individually prove ownership for complexly intertwined assets like hidden real estate and bonds, and to meet the requirements for provisional seizure and lawsuits.

The city's judgment is that this extensive task, requiring meticulous verification and individual handling, necessitates the support of large law firms equipped with specialized personnel and systems.

Despite the difficult situation, the city plans to expedite the process of appointing a competent law firm and swiftly proceed with provisional seizure and other protective measures to prevent the defendants from absconding with their assets before their sentences are finalized.

Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin has stated his commitment to the principle that "criminal proceeds will be recovered," indicating he will not back down.

Mayor Shin said, "Even if major law firms turn their backs, we will prove that Seongnam City's determination for its citizens is stronger."

A building in Gangnam-gu for which lawyer Nam Wook applied for the release of provisional seizure. Yonhap NewsYonhap News