Lee Jin-soo, acting Minister of Justice, stated on October 8 that he will not direct the dismissal of charges in the case involving President Lee Jae-myung. He confirmed that an investigation into the appropriateness of the prosecution's investigation and indictment process will continue, and follow-up actions will be considered based on the investigation results.
During a national audit of the Ministry of Justice held by the Legislative Judiciary Committee, Lee responded affirmatively when asked by Representative Park Hyung-soo of the ruling People Power Party if he could promise not to direct a dismissal of charges during his tenure. He also clarified that former Minister Jeong Seong-ho had no intention of ordering a dismissal of charges through specific case directives.
Regarding the investigation by the Future Committee on Respecting Prosecutorial Human Rights, Lee emphasized, "We are not operating with any predetermined conclusions." He noted that the committee could provide opinions based on verified facts, stating, "The nature of follow-up actions will depend on the content of the findings." While confirming his stance against directing a dismissal of charges, he did not specify the scope of actions to be taken after the investigation.
The Future Committee is investigating whether there was an abuse of prosecutorial power in a total of 19 cases, including the one related to President Lee. The People Power Party criticized that this could influence ongoing trials, while the Democratic Party insisted on clarifying any illegality in past investigations. In response to concerns about potential conflicts of interest due to some committee members acting as attorneys in the cases under investigation, Lee stated that those individuals would be excluded from discussions on those matters.
On the issue of parole for former Gyeonggi Province Peace Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young, Lee indicated that he does not meet the legal requirements for consideration. He explained that Lee has been sentenced to two terms, and the basic requirement is that at least one-third of each sentence must be served, which has not been met. When asked if he had received any inquiries or requests for parole from Lee's side, the presidential office, or ruling party officials, he replied, "No."
The Democratic Party also questioned the appropriateness of the prosecution's handling of the case involving independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon. Representative Park Kyun-taek demanded clarification on the circumstances surrounding the non-submission of a request for international judicial cooperation by the police investigating allegations of false credentials involving Han's daughter.
According to Park, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency requested judicial cooperation in November 2022 to secure related materials from the United States, but the Central District Prosecutor's Office notified them of a non-submission decision 11 days later. The prosecution reportedly cited the lengthy duration of the cooperation process and the uncertainty of whether the requested materials were essential for clarifying the allegations.
Lee stated, "We will verify the facts and circumstances through the Prosecutor's Office and will consider appropriate actions based on the findings." It remains unconfirmed whether there was any undue interference from the then-Minister Han or the prosecution leadership.
Regarding the allegations of leaked investigation materials related to former Minister of Justice candidate Kim Seung-won, Lee mentioned that the Prosecutor's Office is currently conducting fact-finding procedures in collaboration with relevant departments. He noted the limitations of internal verification and inspection, emphasizing the need for investigations, including searches and summons of involved parties, to clarify the matter.
Since the establishment of the Prosecutor's Office, the management of prosecutor personnel has also become a contentious issue. Lee addressed concerns that the number of prosecutors would not decrease despite the separation of investigation and prosecution, stating that trial prosecutors are overburdened with participation in trials four to five days a week. He emphasized that cases referred by the police must be assessed based on records and evidence, warning that poor judgments could lead to unwarranted prosecutions and violations of defendants' rights.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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