Lee Jin-soo, the acting head of the Ministry of Justice, stated that he will not direct the cancellation of indictments related to President Lee Jae-myung during his tenure. However, he indicated that follow-up actions based on the investigation by the Future Committee on Respecting Prosecutorial Human Rights will depend on the results.
During a National Assembly audit of the Ministry of Justice on October 8, when asked by Park Hyung-soo, a member of the ruling People Power Party, if he could commit to not directing any indictment cancellations while in office, Lee replied, "Yes, I can say that."
In response to concerns raised by Kim Min-jeon, another member of the People Power Party, regarding the Future Committee's authority to investigate and provide opinions on whether to maintain indictments, Lee noted that former Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho had also made it clear that he had no intention of directing specific cases for indictment cancellation.
Lee's comments were limited to the exercise of authority by the Ministry of Justice. He did not exclude the possibility that the prosecution could independently determine whether to maintain indictments based on the investigation results.
Lee stated that the committee could provide opinions based on established facts, adding that follow-up actions would vary depending on the content of those findings. He did not specify what actions might be considered.
Lee Jeong-hyeon, the acting head of the prosecution, had previously commented on the issue of indictment cancellation related to President Lee, suggesting that it would be necessary to review the results of the ongoing investigation by the fact-finding team. Lee Jin-soo responded that he believed this was a hypothetical statement.
Opposition lawmakers questioned whether the activities of the fact-finding team were a preliminary step for indictment cancellation and an interference in the trial process. Kwak Gyu-taek, a member of the People Power Party, raised concerns about the legality of the team's activities, claiming they sought to access investigation records without legal grounds.
In response, Lee cited the authority of the Minister of Justice over prosecutorial affairs as the basis for establishing the investigative body. He reiterated that no conclusions would be predetermined, emphasizing that follow-up actions would depend on the facts revealed during the investigation.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.