The call came from the Ministry's administrative liaison office on a Monday, twelve days after the scope reclassification.
The administrative liaison office handled coordination between investigative bodies and the institutions under review. In theory, it existed to facilitate the investigation's access to records and institutional cooperation. In practice, it was one of the mechanisms by which institutions under review attempted to manage the investigation's pace and direction without technically obstructing it. I had encountered this mechanism before. It was one of the more sophisticated forms of institutional interference because it looked, on the surface, like helpfulness.
The call came to my office line at nine-forty. The liaison officer's name was Assistant Director Roh. He was courteous and professionally warm in the way that people are courteous and warm when they are delivering a message they did not draft and are not responsible for.
