Acting Prosecutor General Rebuts 'Pro-Lee' Label: 'If I Were a Political Prosecutor, I Would Have Sided with Yoon Seok-yeol'

Acting Prosecutor General Lee Jung-hyun (deputy chief prosecutor of the prosecution service) has pushed back against opposition criticism labeling him a "political prosecutor," stating that it is "completely untrue."

During a parliamentary audit by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee today (the 22nd), in response to questioning from People Power Party lawmaker Kim Min-jeon regarding his career track, Acting Prosecutor General Lee stated, "There is talk of me being a 'pro-Lee Jae-myung prosecutor,' but even after the government changed in June of last year, I remained a research fellow at the Legal Research and Training Institute for nearly six months."

Lawmaker Kim criticized him based on his past handling of investigations, such as the so-called "Channel A media-prosecutors collusion suspicion" during the Moon Jae-in administration, asking, "The prosecution ultimately had to close its doors because of political prosecutors; aren't you also a political prosecutor?"

Acting Prosecutor General Lee countered, "During my more than 29 years as a prosecutor, I have simply considered black to be black and white to be white, and not once have I handled a case judging black to be white. I completely disagree with the term political prosecutor."

He added, "If I were a political prosecutor, I would have sided with then-Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol," and asked rhetorically, "Knowing that he was expected to enter politics, why would I have spent three years and six months at the Legal Research and Training Institute while expecting disadvantages?"

Addressing criticism that the media-prosecutors collusion suspicion ended in an acquittal, Acting Prosecutor General Lee explained, "Although reporter Lee was indicted, it was a 'half-baked indictment' because certain aspects could not be uncovered as former Prosecutor General Han Dong-hoon refused to provide his cell phone password," adding, "The trial took place without the full picture of the case being revealed."

Regarding his apology in April at the National Assembly regarding the investigation into Ssangbangwool's illegal remittances to North Korea, he said, "I did not apologize because it was a presidential case," adding, "As we have always emphasized, I stated a principled position regarding undisciplined, exhaustive dust-sifting and shaming investigation methods."

As for Park Sang-yong, a deputy prosecutor at the Incheon District Prosecutor's Office facing disciplinary action related to the North Korea remittance investigation, he answered, "I understand he was referred for discipline because he failed to properly manage the situation where a suspect was coaxed and provided with alcohol, and some criminal misconduct facts are included."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.