'Fighter Prosecutor' Former Boxer Who Indicted Cho Kuk and Lee Seong-yoon

Lee Jeongseop, Chief Prosecutor at Suwon District Prosecutors' Office
Active as an Official Player in the Ama Federation
Expressed "Fairness" Ambition at Prosecutor Appointment
Next is Lee Gwangcheol, Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] "Just as boxing determines the winner solely based on skill under fair rules, I will become a prosecutor who investigates social evils and acts fairly."

Lee Jeong-seop, Chief Prosecutor of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (Judicial Research and Training Institute Class 32, photo), expressed this ambition when he was first appointed as a prosecutor in February 2003. He is a former boxing athlete. He started boxing during high school and was registered as an official athlete with the Korea Amateur Boxing Federation while attending the Judicial Research and Training Institute. He still practices boxing as a hobby.

Chief Prosecutor Lee, with his unique background, is currently one of the hottest figures in the legal community. This is because he has consecutively brought the 'living power' to trial through relentless investigations.

Chief Prosecutor Lee handled the illegal travel ban case of former Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Hak-ui. In March 2019, when Lee Seong-yoon, the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, was serving as the head of the Anti-Corruption and Serious Crimes Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Lee confirmed circumstances where pressure was applied to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office Anyang Branch investigation team investigating the leak of travel information of former Deputy Minister Kim, and led the case to prosecution.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Initially, there were many skeptical views within the prosecution. This was because many individuals involved in the reporting line for the travel ban on former Deputy Minister Kim needed to be investigated, and it seemed difficult to specifically apply charges of abuse of authority. Acting Prosecutor General Cho Nam-gwan (Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office) was also concerned that the investigation might not be thorough. Chief Prosecutor Lee achieved results by obtaining a prosecution recommendation from the prosecution investigation review committee, which included external experts, and securing approval from Acting Prosecutor General Cho.

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk was also brought to trial by Chief Prosecutor Lee. In January last year, while serving in the Criminal Division 6 of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, he prosecuted former Busan Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs Yoo Jae-soo on suspicion of halting an inspection. At that time, Chief Prosecutor Lee drew attention by summoning and investigating pro-government figures such as former Minister Cho, Kim Kyung-soo, Governor of Gyeongnam Province, and Yoon Gun-young, Director of the Blue House National Situation Room (currently a member of the Democratic Party) day after day.

It does not end there. Chief Prosecutor Lee is also reportedly considering prosecuting Lee Kwang-cheol, Secretary for Civil Affairs at the Blue House, in connection with the illegal travel ban case of former Deputy Minister Kim. It is widely expected in the legal community that once a new Prosecutor General is appointed and personnel changes are made, the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office investigation team may be disbanded, so additional investigations and prosecutions will be expedited.

Meanwhile, the trial panel for Chief Prosecutor Lee will be decided this afternoon. Although the panel is usually assigned randomly by computer, the Seoul Central District Court has set a principle to assign the case to a collegiate panel considering public interest in this case. There is also a possibility that the Criminal Division 27, which is handling the trials of Prosecutor Lee Gyu-won and Cha Gyu-geun, Director of the Immigration and Foreign Policy Headquarters of the Ministry of Justice, who were previously prosecuted on the same suspicion, will take on Chief Prosecutor Lee’s case as well. This would make case consolidation much easier. The prosecution plans to file a motion for consolidation, arguing that Prosecutor Lee, Director Cha, and Chief Prosecutor Lee should be tried by the same panel.

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