[Breaking] Constitutional Court Unanimously Dismisses Impeachment Petition Against Prosecutor Lee Jeong-seop

On the 29th, the Constitutional Court dismissed the impeachment petition against Prosecutor Lee Jeong-seop of the Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office (age 53, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 32).

The Constitutional Court announced that by a unanimous decision of all justices, the impeachment petition against Prosecutor Lee was dismissed.

The Court stated, "Some of the grounds for impeachment in this case cannot be considered specific, and others are not related to the execution of duties and therefore cannot be grounds for impeachment. Furthermore, the remaining allegation that the respondent was involved in interviewing witnesses before their testimony does not violate Article 7, Paragraph 1, Article 27, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution, former Article 4, Paragraph 2 of the Prosecutors' Office Act, or Article 56 of the State Public Officials Act."

Earlier, the Democratic Party resolved to impeach Prosecutor Lee on charges including: unauthorized access to the criminal records, investigation records, and prior convictions of others using his status and position as a prosecutor; providing such information to his relatives; illegally using ski resort facilities under assembly bans due to COVID-19 in violation of quarantine laws and the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act; facilitating golf course reservations for senior and junior colleagues at a golf course operated by his wife’s family, thereby providing convenience in using the golf course; exerting undue influence to dismiss investigations related to a drug case involving his brother-in-law; acting in conflicting roles by investigating prosecutors who imposed illegal travel bans in the Kim Hak-ui former vice minister illegal travel ban case, while also interviewing witnesses in advance at the prosecutor’s office, which ultimately provided grounds for Kim’s acquittal; and from 2017, registering fictitious residence twice at an apartment where he did not actually live to enroll his child in elementary school, thereby violating the Constitution’s fair trial principle, the State Public Officials Act’s duty of sincerity and compliance with due process, the prohibition of abuse of rights, the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, and the Resident Registration Act.

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