You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 596

[…Amidst claims from reporter Choi Jong-hyun and Mr. Jo Bong-joon that a major corporation is behind the organ trafficking case, public demand is growing for the police to brief on the investigation as soon as possible. Today marks the eighth day since the incident…]

A week had passed since we started broadcasting.

Even though we weren’t actively broadcasting, there was still plenty to do.

Immediately after receiving news that Kim Mi-ja had contacted IAIJ [International Anti-Illegal Justice organization] officials and arrived safely in Washington, we contacted her family.

We hadn’t decided when to publicly release Kim Mi-ja’s testimony and the wiretapping recordings she left behind.

Everything needed to be decided based on the circumstances.

That’s why it was best to ensure the safety of Kim Mi-ja’s family in advance, so we could reveal everything without hesitation when necessary.

After Kim Mi-ja reunited with her family, her parents had packed up their house in Baekgeum-do and moved to Mu-pyeong, a nearby major city.

So, I gave new assignments to the employees who were guarding Ribbon Medical Center, Angel’s House, and Lim Hyun-il.

To protect Kim Mi-ja’s family.

Depending on the situation, I was thinking of suggesting that her eldest son, who happened to be in Seoul, move his residence.

Her second son was working as a teacher in Mu-pyeong, but as a public official, he could also request a transfer.

“Attorney.”

Tae-shik abruptly shoved his phone screen in my face.

“His mom made kimchi stew with pork ribs because she said the kids are having a hard time. His mom’s food is really good, I’m so jealous. Let’s go. It’s only a 5-minute walk.”

And of course, I had brought my parents to Seoul too….

An unexpected problem arose.

The employees started sending Tae-shik photos of the food his mother made.

This time, they sent a photo of four employees smiling brightly with his mother around the kimchi stew with pork ribs.

“They seem to be doing well.”

“I picked nice guys, so I don’t think your mom and dad feel uncomfortable. They’re all good at being cute and are very sociable.”

They were silent for a moment when I told them they might have to stay in Seoul for a while, but they soon said they understood.

Both of them knew about the incident where I almost died at sea, and they said they decided to support me if I was going to continue doing dangerous things, so I think they understood.

“Can’t we go to your mom’s house for dinner today too?”

[Truth]

I wondered if he was serious about going to my parents’ house for dinner when we’re so busy these days, so I used my ability, and it was amazing.

“You sent us potato stew yesterday.”

“Ah, we ate it all.”

I had her make enough for two days, considering Tae-shik’s appetite, but who knew he would eat it all in one day?

And the reason I brought my parents to Seoul was for their safety, not to ask them to do the hard work of making food for five people for Tae-shik.

I even gave the employees sent to my parents’ house plenty of money for food, telling them not to bother making food, but they keep doing it, which is just making things difficult for me.

“No. I’m really busy starting today. The first briefing will start soon after the case is transferred to the Metropolitan Investigation Unit.”

Many changes had occurred within the police force.

As the level of interest in the case skyrocketed and the scope of the investigation widened, the organ trafficking case was transferred to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Metropolitan Investigation Unit.

Typically, in this situation, the initial investigator is distanced from the core of the investigation, but thanks to Lee Se-hwa’s influence, Heo Min-woo was transferred to the investigation headquarters formed within the Metropolitan Investigation Unit as is.

Of course, he had to give up his team leader position because of it, but his job didn’t change much, and the head of the investigation headquarters seemed to trust him very much as well.

Perhaps because I had consistently emphasized to Lee Se-hwa that there might be Wooshin informants hidden within the police force, the head of the investigation headquarters was also someone I could trust.

“Hasn’t it started yet?”

Kang Min-jae also came out of his room at just the right time.

I understood why the police were hesitant to give a briefing.

The case was too big.

The reason the Gangnam Police Station was able to give a briefing immediately after the incident without hesitation was because they didn’t reveal the mastermind.

To be precise, it’s because the police insiders, except for Heo Min-woo, didn’t know that Wooshin was behind this case.

“If they’ve been dragging it on for a week, it seems like a pretty long time. How annoying must Jong-hyun hyung and Bong-joon hyung be to the police?”

Kang Min-jae sat down on the sofa with a thud and laughed.

The reason we quickly turned on the broadcast and bluntly revealed that Wooshin was behind the organ trafficking was to reduce the time the police were hesitating and worrying.

That’s not to say that the police can say ‘Wooshin is the mastermind’ in today’s briefing, though.

Even in an era where investigative agencies have lost trust, their words carry far more weight than those of individuals like us.

Moreover, the burden would be even greater because we even released the text message Go Sang-joon sent to Lee Jung-chan on the broadcast.

Isn’t there a high possibility that it will escalate into a major case involving political figures?

However, we had prepared and waited for too long to give the police time to worry.

Above all, you have to tighten the screws when dealing with Wooshin.

If you give them even a little bit of leeway, they will find a way to escape.

That’s why we had no choice but to add fuel to the fire, and we were planning to add more fuel if they didn’t give a briefing by today.

[Check out the police briefing on the attempted organ trafficking case in the video.]

* * *

Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency briefing room.

It’s always crowded with reporters, but today the atmosphere was different.

You could feel the determination in the eyes of the reporters sitting and waiting for the head of the investigation headquarters to appear.

“There will be a lot of questions today.”

Heo Min-woo muttered, and the investigator next to him replied as if he were stating the obvious.

“They’ll tear us apart. But well, the chief has done a lot of briefings on big cases.”

“Still, cases like this are rare. Ah, it’s not just rare. It’s no exaggeration to say it’s an unprecedented situation.”

“That’s true.”

Heo Min-woo and the investigator, who were leaning against the wall and watching the situation, straightened up when they realized it was almost time.

Soon, the door to the briefing room opened, and the head of the investigation headquarters appeared.

“I am Superintendent General Hyun Byung-joo.”

Superintendent General Hyun Byung-joo and Heo Min-woo had a slight connection a long time ago.

Even back then, he was a superintendent general, and he was the head of the police station where Heo Min-woo used to work.

Of course, there wasn’t much contact due to the difference in rank, but he seemed to have taken notice of Heo Min-woo, who was quite famous for his rapid promotions.

When he came to the Metropolitan Investigation Unit’s investigation headquarters this time, he knew a lot about Heo Min-woo.

Superintendent General Hyun Byung-joo was well-respected, but he was nearing his mandatory retirement age.

There were many rumors that he would retire as a superintendent general, but seeing as they put him in charge of the investigation headquarters this time, it seemed like they were going to promote him to senior superintendent general.

“You have probably seen the progress of the investigation into the attempted organ trafficking case that occurred on August 26, 2012, through the press releases that have been distributed. Today, I would like to talk about the surgeon Lim, who was arrested at the scene.”

A flash went off, and Hyun Byung-joo continued.

“As a result of analyzing the CCTV footage seized at the scene, the doctor Lim, who was in charge of the entire surgery, is a Korean-Japanese and a Japanese national. In addition, Mr. Lim worked in the same hospital and department as Mr. Choi, who died in the Gangnam-gu gas explosion on April 13, 2012, and we are investigating the circumstances in which he ordered Mr. Choi to illegally extract organs a few days before Mr. Choi’s death.”

As Hyun Byung-joo continued to speak, the sound of reporters typing on their keyboards grew louder.

The reporters seemed quite surprised by the sudden mention of the unexpected gas explosion.

“To briefly add to this, Mr. Choi refused Mr. Lim’s request. Continuing… The investigation headquarters has confirmed that the place where Mr. Lim ordered Mr. Choi to illegally extract organs was the illegal medical facility in Miseong, Gyeonggi-do, where this organ trafficking case took place. Accordingly, we are investigating on the assumption that Mr. Lim has been continuously engaging in illegal organ trafficking and organ transplant surgeries.”

The flash went off again quickly.

This briefing focused on Lim Hyun-il.

In a situation where they can’t officially mention the word Wooshin yet, the only way to respond to the increasing public interest is to focus attention on Lim Hyun-il.

People who already know, already know that Lim Hyun-il is the head of the surgery department at Wooshin Hospital.

In addition, they need to give Choi Jong-hyun and Jo Bong-joon a new topic to talk about if they’re going to keep ranting on the broadcast.

“…We will discuss the other details through a question-and-answer session.”

After the necessary explanations were finished, the background briefing began.

A reporter who was given the floor asked.

“You mentioned the Gangnam-gu gas explosion today. Does that mean that the police knew about the organ trafficking at that time?”

Since it was a case that Heo Min-woo was in charge of, there were no difficulties in taking over the case and understanding the details at the investigation headquarters.

Hyun Byung-joo answered smoothly.

“What we learned about the gas explosion victim at that time was that Mr. Lim may have been involved in organ trafficking, and that the illegal medical facility where this incident occurred may have been the location. Accordingly, we were continuing our investigation when this incident occurred. Our investigation headquarters will also be conducting a reinvestigation of the gas explosion accident.”

There are several reasons why Choi Jae-hoon’s death case has been shelved until now.

First, they have not obtained evidence that Lim Hyun-il, including those involved in the organ trafficking business, directly ordered the gas explosion.

Second, it was too early to reveal at the time that Lim Hyun-il was on the investigation network in connection with organ trafficking.

But now that everything has exploded, there is no reason to keep it shelved any longer.

Organ trafficking ended in an attempt, but killing Choi Jae-hoon was not an attempt, so if things go well, murder charges can be applied.

Also, isn’t the Choi Jae-hoon case a prime example of how much effort Wooshin has put into the organ trafficking business?

‘It was worth shelving this case.’

Heo Min-woo chuckled.

Wasn’t he very embarrassed when he found out that the plan had been changed to perform the transplant surgery at Ribbon Medical Center instead of Okashima Hospital?

Although he was a bit flustered, he finished it well and took the lead in the investigation, so it was a good thing after all.

“Is it true that the mastermind behind the attempted organ trafficking case is known to be a major corporation?”

What people want to hear most from the police right now is confirmation that Wooshin is the mastermind.

Heo Min-woo clenched his hands tightly behind his back.

He was dying to barge in and say it was true.

“That matter is still under investigation, so I ask for your understanding that we cannot answer at this time.”

Although Choi Jong-hyun and Jo Bong-joon handed over the data they released on the broadcast to the police, it takes quite a long time to verify that data.

And even if it is certain that the data is reliable, it is unreasonable for the police to mention the name of the company in a situation where they cannot identify the people who were directly involved in the case.

If they make a mistake, there is a possibility that it will be seen as a crime conspired by the company.

In addition, if the data provided by Cha Joo-han is verified, RND, KDL Company, and L&B will not simply end up as criminal organizations.

Because it is the birthplace of slush funds worth hundreds of billions of won, the National Tax Service must also get involved.

‘Is that why Attorney Cha came out of the prosecution?’

It seems that his patience has disappeared while working with Cha Joo-han.

What a situation where you can’t call a bastard a bastard.

My mouth is itching to death.

“Then I’m curious when you plan to release it. With the content you’ve investigated so far, I think you’ve confirmed that there is some kind of relationship.”

Even though he knew the police’s position, the reporter was very persistent.

“Please check through future briefings and press releases.”

When Hyun Byung-joo answered calmly, the reporter continued to ask without passing the microphone.

“Then is it true that the orphanage to which the victim child belonged is the same orphanage that is currently under investigation for alleged drug use and abuse of its teenagers?”

Good question.

It is already widely known that the orphanage to which Son Jung-min and Eom Seong-yoon belong is Angel’s House.

Only the media is euphemistically expressing it as ‘C Orphanage, Mo Orphanage,’ but even if you only look at the comments, they are openly mentioning the names of Angel’s House or Wooshin.

How will he answer?

Heo Min-woo turned his gaze to Hyun Byung-joo.

He hesitated for a moment, but soon answered.

“Yes, it’s the same orphanage.”

Heo Min-woo’s eyes widened.

He thought he would try to get around this question by saying that he would check it later, but it was unexpected.

Then the sound of keyboards typing began to be heard like crazy.

“Has the victim’s statement been taken?”

The next question soon followed.

“The victim child said that on the day of the incident, she was led by an orphanage employee into a room inside the orphanage, and there was a stranger in plain clothes there. The orphanage employee said that the victim child was sick, so a doctor came to give her an injection, and when the victim child said she wasn’t sick, she said she was sick and gave her the injection.”

The ‘stranger in plain clothes’ was a doctor from the Department of Anesthesiology at Wooshin Hospital.

When he showed So-eun the photos of the medical staff arrested at the scene, she immediately pointed him out.

“After that, the victim child felt sleepy, and she doesn’t remember the sounds she heard while dozing off. When the victim child came to her senses, she was in the emergency room near the illegal medical facility, and it seems that she has no memory of what happened before that. As a result of conducting a blood test on the victim child in the emergency room, it was revealed that she was under anesthesia.”

So-eun, who was under anesthesia, was fortunate not to have suffered any mental shock despite having gone through a terrible incident, and was able to calmly give her victim statement.

Choi Jong-hyun, who was busy preparing for the broadcast, often went to Officer Oh’s house to play with So-eun and built a bond with her in his own way, and both of them said that So-eun was in good condition.

It was a fortunate thing.

If Heo Min-woo had been in charge of So-eun, she would not have been able to maintain the same condition.

“Then is that orphanage involved in the attempted organ trafficking case?”

The reporter asked.

Then Hyun Byung-joo answered.

“We will have to confirm through investigation whether the entire orphanage is involved, but the orphanage employee who lured the victim child and gave her an anesthetic injection has been booked as a suspect on charges of aiding and abetting the abduction and enticement of a minor.”

The question-and-answer session that followed was uneventful.

The reporters no longer had the desire to hear Wooshin’s name.

After the briefing ended and Hyun Byung-joo left the briefing room, Heo Min-woo left the cleanup to the investigator and came out with him.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Heo Min-woo said as he ran to Hyun Byung-joo, who was already walking far away.

“Oh, Inspector Heo.”

When Heo Min-woo handed him a bottle of water, Hyun Byung-joo thanked him and emptied half of the bottle in one gulp.

“But you know.”

“Yes.”

“What do you think, Inspector Heo? Don’t you think Choi Jong-hyun and Jo Bong-joon will be broadcasting today?”

There was a strange mixture of worry and expectation in his eyes.

He seemed worried about being preempted by the reporters and being criticized, but at the same time, he seemed to be expecting them to reveal things that the police couldn’t reveal right away.

Heo Min-woo chuckled without realizing it.

“I don’t know.”

Heo Min-woo shrugged his shoulders.

…They are working hard to prepare to broadcast today.