Lee Yong-cheol, the nominee for Minister of Justice, has postponed his response regarding whether he will direct the cancellation of charges in the criminal case involving President Lee Jae-myung. He indicated that clarifying the allegations of fabricated indictments is a priority, leaving observers eager to see how he will address the possibility of charge cancellation based on the special prosecutor's investigation results.
On the morning of November 10, while on his way to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration in Gwacheon, Lee was asked by reporters if he intended to direct the cancellation of charges based on the findings of the investigation. He replied, "It seems that the hearing preparation team will be ready tomorrow, and I will speak then."
He did not respond to questions regarding his views on criticisms of the special prosecutor's investigation into fabricated indictments or his assessment of the investigations into the Daejang-dong development scandal and the Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance case before entering the government building.
Lee, who is currently the head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, was originally scheduled to work there until November 11 before starting at the hearing preparation team on November 12. He is now considering moving his first day of work to November 11.
The day before, Lee also refrained from clearly stating his position on directing the cancellation of charges. He explained that the president had suggested to the National Assembly to focus on clarifying the facts, excluding the transfer of existing cases to the special prosecutor, and that the National Assembly had enacted the special prosecutor law accordingly. He added, "It is correct to focus solely on clarifying the facts," emphasizing that other matters should be handled according to law and principle.
This stance differs from that of his predecessor and previous nominee, Jeong Seong-ho, who stated that neither the Ministry of Justice nor he had considered charge cancellation. Kim Seung-won, a member of the Democratic Party who was nominated but withdrew, also indicated he had no intention of directing charge cancellation through the Prosecutor General.
The People Power Party criticized Lee's remarks, suggesting they leave open the possibility of charge cancellation in the president's case. However, Lee has not expressed any intention to direct such a cancellation thus far.
The controversy stems from the special prosecutor law that passed the National Assembly on November 6. The investigation targets include allegations related to the Daejang-dong, Wirye, and Baekhyeon-dong developments, as well as the Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance case. Although provisions regarding the decision on whether to maintain charges for existing cases were removed, debates continue over how the findings of the fact-finding investigation will impact the handling of these cases.
Lee actively rebutted criticisms regarding his alleged involvement in the Daejang-dong scandal and claims that his appointment was due to his friendship with the president.
He explained that the circumstances surrounding the appointment of Yoo Dong-kyu, the former head of planning at the Seongnam Urban Development Corporation, were unrelated to the Daejang-dong project at the time of his appointment in 2010. Regarding the Daejang-dong project itself, he stated, "I know very little about it, both then and now."
In response to claims that Yoo had engaged in high-stakes gambling with him, Lee denied the allegations, calling them "malicious slander," asserting that he has never participated in high-stakes gambling beyond occasional recreational activities with family or friends.
When questioned about the suggestion that his long-standing friendship with the president influenced his appointment, he countered, "Friendship itself is not a disqualification for a minister." He argued that if appointments were made solely based on friendship, it would be problematic, but one cannot deem someone unqualified merely for having a friendship.
Addressing concerns about his lack of experience in legal administration, he highlighted his experience in judicial reform and prosecutorial reform issues. He stated, "I will utilize my 30 years of legal experience and administrative experience leading the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to address any shortcomings."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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