Prosecutors Rejecting Deliberation Committee... Ignoring 'Geomun-Yuchak' Investigation Too?

Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong Gains Justification While Easing Burden of Second 'Appeal' in Indictment

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] As the prosecution abruptly indicted Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, ignoring the recommendation of the 'Prosecutorial Investigation Deliberation Committee,' the influence of the committee's recommendations on prosecutorial judicial actions is expected to significantly diminish going forward. The prosecution must soon conclude the investigation into the 'media-prosecution collusion' allegations, but since a case of 'ignoring' has already occurred, the burden of ignoring the second recommendation has also lessened. The committee had previously recommended 'non-detention and suspension of investigation' for Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon, who is implicated in the media-prosecution collusion allegations.

According to the legal community on the 2nd, the Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, which is investigating the media-prosecution collusion allegations, is finalizing the handover process for this case in line with the fully reorganized command line effective from the 3rd.

On July 24, the committee had 10 members recommend suspension of the investigation and 11 members recommend non-prosecution regarding this case. The prosecution immediately opposed this, stating it was "hard to accept," and forcibly conducted a search and seizure on Prosecutor Han just five days later.

There is an analysis that by indicting Vice Chairman Lee yesterday, the prosecution has also secured justification to continue the investigation into the media-prosecution collusion allegations. Last month, while indicting former Channel A reporter Lee Dong-jae, a key suspect, the prosecution did not include charges of conspiracy against Prosecutor Han in the indictment, but the investigation team stated, "We will handle the case after clearly determining whether Prosecutor Han conspired in the main offense through additional investigation."

The change in the investigation team's command line is also unlikely to have an impact. Kim Wook-jun, the 4th Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, who will take the vacant position of the 1st Deputy Chief Prosecutor, is a close aide to Lee Sung-yoon, the Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

If the investigation into Prosecutor Han accelerates under these circumstances, criticism toward both the prosecution and the deliberation committee system itself is expected to intensify. The committee was established to check the prosecution's unilateral decisions, and the prosecution is not obligated to follow its recommendations. However, if the prosecution only follows 'deliberation opinions that suit its preferences,' the committee system itself becomes meaningless, which legal circles believe could immediately lead to discussions about its 'existence or abolition.' Moreover, since its launch in 2018 until February this year, the prosecution has disposed of all eight cases reviewed by the committee, including the 'allegations of personnel retaliation by former Prosecutor General Ahn Tae-geun against Prosecutor Seo Ji-hyun' and the 'Jecheon fire incident,' in accordance with the committee's recommendations.

A legal community official stated, "The committee is a system the prosecution voluntarily introduced as part of its reform intentions to prevent politically influenced or situationally motivated prosecutions," adding, "However, if the prosecution continues to act contrary to its purpose, it will lose not only public trust but also the trust of those who might apply for deliberation in the future."

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