'Key Witness' Former Anyang Branch Chief to Appear in March at Lee Seong-yoon's 'Investigation Interference' Trial

Lee Seong-yoon, the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office Chief Prosecutor, who was indicted on charges of exerting external pressure in the investigation of former Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Hak-ui's illegal travel ban case, is attending a trial held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 20th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Lee Hyun-chul, former head of the Anyang Branch of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (currently chief prosecutor of Seoul Northern District Prosecutors' Office), will appear as a witness in the trial of Lee Seong-yoon, chief prosecutor of Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, who was indicted on charges of exerting external pressure to halt the investigation into the illegal travel ban on former Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Hak-ui.

The Criminal Division 27 of Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Kim Sun-il) accepted the prosecution's request and summoned Chief Prosecutor Lee as a witness at the continuation of the trial on the 12th.

Chief Prosecutor Lee will appear in court on March 16 and 30 to undergo witness examination. On the 16th, the prosecution will conduct direct examination, and on the 30th, the defense team of Chief Prosecutor Lee will conduct cross-examination. The prosecution described Chief Prosecutor Lee in court as "one of the most important witnesses."

Lee Seong-yoon was indicted on charges of abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights for exerting external pressure to stop the investigation by the Criminal Division 3 of the Anyang Branch of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office in 2019, when he was head of the Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, into the suspicion that the travel ban on former Deputy Minister Kim Hak-ui was imposed illegally.

Initially, the Ministry of Justice requested the prosecution to investigate the allegation that information about the travel ban was leaked to former Deputy Minister Kim's side, but the Criminal Division 3 of the Anyang Branch of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office instead detected signs that the travel ban was imposed unlawfully and launched an investigation.

After the investigation team reported the illegal travel ban circumstances to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the prosecution believes that Chief Prosecutor Lee, who was then head of the Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division, obstructed the investigation.

Chief Prosecutor Lee, serving as the head of the Anyang Branch at the time, relayed the investigation team's report to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and conveyed the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's instructions back to the investigation team, making him a key witness in this case.

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