Joo Kwang-deok "Lee Sung-yoon, Chief of Central District Prosecutors' Office, Sent Mocking and Harsh Texts to Demoted Prosecutors"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hye-min] On the 12th, allegations arose that Lee Seong-yoon, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, who is a junior alumnus of President Moon Jae-in and considered a 'pro-Moon (親Moon Jae-in)' figure within the prosecution organization, sent text messages mixed with mockery and harsh language to prosecutors demoted in the 'Chu Mi-ae style' high-level prosecution personnel reshuffle.

Joo Kwang-deok, a member of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee from the Liberty Korea Party, held a press conference at the National Assembly on the same day and claimed, "As the director of the prosecution personnel department, he sent incomprehensible text messages to several high-ranking prosecutors who were subject to personnel changes."

Lee, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, is a classmate (23rd class) of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol from the Judicial Research and Training Institute and was appointed to his current position in the personnel reshuffle conducted by Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae. He graduated from Kyung Hee University Law School and is a junior alumnus of President Moon. He has held key positions including head of the Anti-Corruption Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in 2018, director of the prosecution department last year, and this year, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

Although Representative Joo did not disclose the specific content of the text messages Lee allegedly sent, he claimed, "The beginning of the message contained expressions that seemed to provoke, the middle included harsh words close to verbal abuse, and the last part said 'May the Lord be with you,' which is incomprehensible in a normal context, as if intoxicated by power and having lost reason."

Representative Joo said, "Fellow prosecutors are shocked and deeply wounded," urging the Ministry of Justice to conduct an investigation.

He also announced plans to file a complaint with the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the 13th, accusing Minister Chu and Chief Prosecutor Lee of abuse of authority and obstruction of official duties by deception, based on the process of attempting to appoint lawyer Ryu Hyuk as the new director of the prosecution department at the Ministry of Justice, succeeding Lee.

Representative Joo stated, "Lawyer Ryu completely ignored the Ministry of Justice's procedures and regulations regarding the appointment of a new chief prosecutor and came to the prosecution department at the Ministry of Justice for an interview just two hours before the personnel committee meeting," adding, "Although the personnel committee rejected the appointment, obstruction of official duties by deception had already occurred."

He raised suspicions, saying, "It is said that Lawyer Ryu and Yoon Seok-yeol have a very uncomfortable relationship. Following the chief prosecutor appointment, it appears that the new director Ryu planned a second purge to remove even Yoon's cell organization and fingers in mid-level appointments such as high prosecutors and deputy chief prosecutors."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.