Prosecutors Summon Former Chief Prosecutor Lee Sung-yoon over 'Yoon Surveillance Allegations' "Blatant Retaliatory Investigation"

Regarding the allegations that a so-called 'targeted' inspection was conducted during the tenure of former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae with the intention of forcing then Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol to resign, Lee Sung-yoon, a research fellow at the Judicial Research and Training Institute who served as the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office at the time, is responding to reporters' questions as he appears at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 16th for a prosecution investigation.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] On the 16th, the prosecution investigating allegations that former Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae conducted so-called 'targeted' inspections to force then Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol to resign summoned Lee Seong-yoon, a research fellow at the Judicial Research and Training Institute.

The Criminal Division 5 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Choi Woo-young) summoned Lee this morning as a suspect and is currently investigating him.

Before heading to the interrogation room, Lee told reporters that at the time, President Yoon, while serving as Prosecutor General, obstructed the investigation and inspection of the Channel A case and hurled "harsh words" at him. He said, "On April 29, 2020, when investigating former Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon, Yoon shouted through the phone, 'Do you have no shame?' with relentless words. At that moment, I felt unbearable humiliation."

He added, "Yoon, who obstructed the investigation and inspection in this way, was disciplined, and the Seoul Administrative Court clearly ruled that 'the disciplinary action is justified as it corresponds to serious misconduct warranting dismissal or higher.' I hoped he would apologize or reflect on his mistakes, but instead, he shifted responsibility and retaliated with an arrogant investigation, which is simply regrettable and pitiful."

President Yoon and Lee are contemporaries who passed the 1991 Judicial Examination and completed the 23rd class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute in 1994. Lee is suspected of involvement in delivering call records and other materials obtained under the pretext of inspecting then Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon (now Minister of Justice) in October 2020, when he served as head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, to the Ministry of Justice Inspection Committee that was inspecting Prosecutor General Yoon.

According to the Ministry of Justice's inspection results, President Yoon was disciplined with a two-month suspension on December 16, 2020, for reasons including the creation and distribution of documents alleging surveillance of key trial courts, obstruction of the Channel A case inspection and investigation, and violation of political neutrality as a prosecutor.

During today's investigation, the prosecution is expected to question whether Lee, who was then head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, approved the delivery of materials or exerted undue pressure during the process.

In 2020, the Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office held call records and other materials under the pretext of inspecting Prosecutor Han, but Park Eun-jung, head of the Important Economic Crimes Investigation Division at the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office and the Ministry of Justice inspection officer, requested these materials. Although the Criminal Division 1 opposed on the grounds that it might violate the Communications Privacy Protection Act, the inspection office eventually secured the materials. The prosecution suspects that Lee influenced this process as head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

Lee claims, "I only complied according to the Ministry of Justice inspection regulations, which require submission unless there is a legitimate reason," denying any illegal acts.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, which investigated this case following a complaint by a lawyers' group in December 2020, dismissed the case in July last year. After the complainant group appealed, the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office ordered a reinvestigation in June this year, and the investigation resumed. To secure related materials, the investigation team raided the Ministry of Justice inspection office and the Central District Prosecutors' Office records management department in August and summoned and investigated Director Park in October.

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