Yong-cheol Lee Begins Work as Justice Minister Nominee, Defers Response on Indictment Cancellation

Yong-cheol Lee, the nominee for Minister of Justice, began his first day at the confirmation hearing preparation office in Seoul's Songpa District, while again deferring his response regarding the leadership of the indictment cancellation related to President Lee Jae-myung's case, maintaining that the priority is to clarify the facts.

On the morning of November 11, as he arrived at the preparation office, Lee was asked by reporters whether he intends to exercise his authority based on the results of the fact-finding. He replied, "Now is the time to focus on clarifying the facts, and my existing position that everything must follow the law and principles remains unchanged."

The day before, while heading to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, he had responded to a similar question by saying, "It seems the preparation office will be ready tomorrow, and I will speak then."

Lee added, "At this point, when the fact-finding has not even begun, I believe it is inappropriate to express opinions based on many predictions and assumptions."

However, he provided clarification regarding his relationship with the special prosecutor's target case, stating, "I am neither a member of the indictment cancellation group nor have I participated as a lawyer in the special prosecutor's target case," and emphasized that he would observe the special prosecutor's fact-finding activities without any preconceptions or biases.

In response to concerns about a potential conflict of interest due to his ties to President Lee, he stated, "I believe it is inappropriate for a nominee to evaluate the special prosecutor law, which is a decision of the legislative authority." Regarding the investigations into the Daejang-dong and Ssangbangwool cases, he noted, "I have not been sufficiently briefed on the matter," adding that it is not appropriate to evaluate the situation from his current position.

When asked about allegations that he provided personnel favors to close associates of the president during his time as the head of the Seongnam Industry Promotion Foundation, he said, "I will provide a detailed explanation beyond what the spokesperson has already stated during the confirmation hearing."

Lee also expressed his commitment to prioritize the establishment of a new criminal justice system if given the opportunity to serve as minister. He emphasized the importance of closely coordinating with relevant agencies to ensure that there are no gaps in crime response or inconveniences for the public during the process of institutional change.

Additionally, he stated that he would work with the newly appointed head of the prosecution office to ensure fair personnel practices and bolster organizational stability and morale. He concluded by asserting, "The prosecution office will realize judicial justice through fair exercise of prosecutorial authority and establish itself as an institution that protects human rights, including victim protection."