Lee Seong-yoon Draws More Attention Than Kim Oh-soo... Likely to Remain and Be Promoted Even If Indicted

Consolidating Pro-Government Figures... Continued Use of 'Lee Seong-yoon Card' Including Retention of District Prosecutor and Promotion of Deputy Chief Prosecutor

Seong-Yoon Lee (23rd Judicial Research and Training Institute) Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] With Kim Oh-soo, former Deputy Minister of Justice, being nominated as the last Prosecutor General under the Moon Jae-in administration, attention is also focusing on the position of Lee Seong-yoon, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. Although Lee faced the risk of indictment due to his involvement in the illegal travel ban allegations related to former Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Hak-ui and was dropped from the final list of candidates for Prosecutor General, Kim’s nomination?being senior to Lee?has for now allowed Lee to avoid stepping down. Some speculate that regardless of indictment, the current administration may continue to utilize the "Lee Seong-yoon card."

According to the legal community on the 4th, the investigation team for the Kim Hak-ui travel ban case at the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (led by Lee Jeong-seop, Head of the Criminal Division 3) plans to make a final decision on whether to indict Lee after receiving the results of the Prosecutorial Investigation Deliberation Committee under the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, scheduled for the 10th. The committee has already selected all its members, and with Lee being removed from the list of candidates for Prosecutor General, the political burden has been lifted.

However, variables remain. The investigation team believes there is substantial evidence to prove Lee’s charges, but the deliberation committee could decide on non-prosecution or suspension of investigation, and the investigation team is not obligated to follow this decision.

Regardless of indictment, Lee’s position has become more flexible. With Kim’s nomination as Prosecutor General the previous day, Lee faces less pressure to resign. Typically, when a peer or junior is appointed Prosecutor General, the incumbent steps down, but this precedent can now be avoided. This means Lee can avoid the worst-case scenario of having to resign while under indictment.

From the government’s perspective, the likelihood of continuing to use the "Lee Seong-yoon card" is high. By retaining Lee as Chief Prosecutor, he could lead investigations targeting the administration, such as the Ulsan mayoral election interference and the Blue House planned investigation allegations. Kim, considered a prominent pro-government figure, and Lee together represent the final prosecutorial leadership of the Moon Jae-in government. Previously, Lee was accused of covering up the "Optimus Fund fraud case," which involved regime figures, and of not approving the investigation team’s decision to clear Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon in the "media-prosecutor collusion" case.

Even if the Kim Hak-ui travel ban investigation team pushes for indictment and Lee’s leadership of the nation’s largest prosecutor’s office is compromised, a scenario where he moves to the position of Deputy Prosecutor General to work alongside the new Prosecutor General is possible. Although Lee lost internal trust during the former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl’s crisis last year, the Deputy Prosecutor General role supports the Prosecutor General and oversees management and supervision of various prosecutor’s offices.

Interest in the second half of the year’s prosecutorial personnel reshuffle is expected to remain high. Since Kim is senior, no high-ranking officials are expected to voluntarily retire, but Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye has already indicated that the personnel changes in the second half will be significant. A lawyer with prosecutorial experience commented, "Because it is the end of the administration, a large-scale overhaul may be necessary to maintain a pro-government system for a long period," adding, "The positions of senior prosecutors who voiced opposition during former Prosecutor General Yoon’s disciplinary phase last year will also be a considerable variable."

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