The prosecutors’ office is to investigate spy suspect Yoo Woo-seong’s lawyer Chang Kyung-wook for alleged defamation and contempt of court.

On Thursday, the North Korea defectors’ group Youth Forum of North Korea Democratization filed a complaint against Chang over comments he made during Yoo’s hearing on March 28. Yoo is a former Seoul city official of North Korean-Chinese decent suspected of spying for Pyongyang.

At the time of the hearing, the prosecution had asked to be allowed more time to change the charging document against Yoo. Chang described the prosecution’s request as “criminals making absurd claims that they will punish a bigger crime.”

Chang, however, retracted the statement when prompted by the judges later in the hearing.

“As the investigation has been launched, I can cooperate. However, the allegations of evidence fabrication should also be investigated thoroughly,” Chang told the local media, saying that he could not understand why an investigation had been launched when he retracted the statement. The lawyer also accused the North Korean defectors’ organization of abusing the system by filing complaints based only on media reports.

The probe into Chang is only the latest in to the growing list of investigations that stem from the convoluted developments surrounding Yoo.

Some evidence submitted against Yoo has been shown to be forged, resulting in an investigation in to the National Intelligence Service, which supplied the prosecution with the forged documents.

In addition, the Youth Forum of North Korea Democratization has filed two complaints against Yoo, accusing him of fraudulently receiving subsidies for North Korean defectors and hiding his nationality to gain the Seoul City job.

In an unrelated case, Police are investigating Chang on suspicions that he contacted North Korean officials while attending a seminar organized by pro-Pyongyang ethnic Koreans based in Germany last year.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)