Seoul Central District Prosecutor Lee Seong-yoon's Investigation Deliberation Committee Held Today... Turning Point for Position (Comprehensive)

Seong-yoon Lee, Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] The Prosecutorial Investigation Deliberation Committee (PIDC) will convene on the 10th to review the case against Lee Seong-yoon, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, who is accused of exerting external pressure on the Anyang Branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office in 2019 during the investigation of the ‘Kim Hak-ui illegal exit ban’ case.

Within the legal community, it is widely expected that regardless of the PIDC’s decision, the investigation team will indict Chief Prosecutor Lee. However, since Lee was not nominated as a candidate for Prosecutor General, the public’s judgment on his future position is anticipated to have a significant impact, making the outcome highly anticipated.

The PIDC will convene a special committee at 2 p.m. at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-dong, Seoul, to deliberate on whether to indict and whether to continue the investigation against Chief Prosecutor Lee, who is accused of abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights.

Lee is accused of exerting external pressure to halt the investigation by the Anyang Branch, which was attempting to investigate illegal acts committed during the emergency travel ban imposed on former Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Hak-ui in June 2019, while Lee was serving as the head of the Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.

The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office investigation team, currently probing Lee’s case, believes that Lee was directly involved in the illegal travel ban by calling Han Chan-sik, then head of the Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, immediately after the illegal exit ban on former Deputy Minister Kim, seeking approval. They also believe Lee pressured the investigation to be dropped by contacting Bae Yong-won, then deputy chief of the Anyang Branch. However, Lee has denied the allegations, stating that he reported all procedures to then Prosecutor General Moon Moo-il.

The 15 special committee members, randomly selected experts from various sectors including the legal community, academia, media, civic groups, and culture and arts, will review written opinions of up to 30 pages submitted by both the investigation team and Lee’s side. After hearing oral statements from both parties, they will deliberate and vote. Yang Chang-soo, former Supreme Court Justice and chairperson of the PIDC, will preside over the meeting as the chair of the special committee but will not participate in questioning or voting. It is also reported that Prosecutor A, who worked at the Anyang Branch in 2019, will attend the meeting as a ‘victim’ of the investigation pressure and provide testimony.

Meanwhile, the PIDC’s recommendations are not binding, and even if a ‘non-prosecution’ opinion is adopted, it is widely expected that the investigation team will proceed with indicting Chief Prosecutor Lee.

However, the public’s judgment on this day is expected to directly influence Lee’s future position.

Lee, once a strong candidate for Prosecutor General, was removed from the list of candidates after becoming a suspect under investigation by both the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the prosecution in connection with the ‘Kim Hak-ui illegal exit ban’ case.

Although Lee was not appointed as Prosecutor General due to deteriorating public opinion, including controversies such as the CIO’s ‘imperial escort,’ it is anticipated that he may be promoted to Deputy Chief Prosecutor at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, appointed as a senior district chief prosecutor, or retained as Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in the personnel reshuffle following the inauguration of Prosecutor General nominee Kim Oh-soo.

However, if the PIDC concludes that indictment is inevitable and the prosecution actually indicts Lee, it will likely be difficult for him to maintain his position as chief prosecutor while facing trial on charges of abuse of authority.

Meanwhile, on the morning of the same day, Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye refrained from commenting on the PIDC meeting regarding Chief Prosecutor Lee and its relation to prosecution personnel matters when asked by reporters while arriving at the Government Complex Gwacheon.

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