Lee Chang-su, Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Central District, Convenes Expanded Chiefs Meeting in Preparation for Impeachment Acting System

by Ku Chaeeun

Published 03 Dec.2024 15:11(KST)

Impeachment Vote Likely, Expanded Department Heads Meeting Scheduled for the 4th

Lee Chang-soo, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, is responding to questions from Chairman Jeong Cheong-rae during the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee's audit of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, Suwon High Prosecutors' Office, and Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the 18th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Lee Chang-soo, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, convened an expanded chiefs meeting attended by all mid-level executives of the Central District Prosecutors' Office a day before the vote on the impeachment motion. It appears that he is checking the operation of the acting duty system to minimize damage to investigations related to public livelihood.

According to the legal community on the 3rd, Chief Prosecutor Lee decided to hold the expanded chiefs meeting on the afternoon of the 4th. All mid-level executives, including deputy chiefs and chiefs of the Central District Prosecutors' Office, will attend. It is known that at this meeting, Chief Prosecutor Lee plans to convey the operational policy of the Central District Prosecutors' Office under the acting duty system and offer words of encouragement. On the same day, he also received reports on investigation and trial situations from chiefs investigating major current issues and issued necessary instructions to ensure that there are no disruptions in work under the acting duty system.

On the afternoon of the 4th, with the impeachment motion against himself, Cho Sang-won, the 4th Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Central District Prosecutors' Office, and Choi Jae-hoon, Chief of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2, expected to be virtually approved at the National Assembly plenary session, it is interpreted that he intends to check the acting duty system to minimize any work gaps.

The impeachment motion will be passed by a majority of the total members of the National Assembly (300 members), so the motion against Chief Prosecutor Lee and the other two prosecutors can be approved with the support of the ruling Democratic Party members holding 170 seats. Once the impeachment motion is passed, the duties of Chief Prosecutor Lee and the other two prosecutors will be immediately suspended, and they will not be able to return to work until the Constitutional Court delivers its ruling on the impeachment trial.

The Ministry of Justice and the prosecution currently have no plans to appoint replacements for Chief Prosecutor Lee and others vacated by the passage of the impeachment motion. According to the Prosecutors' Office Act, when a chief prosecutor is unable to perform duties due to unavoidable reasons, the deputy chief prosecutor acts on their behalf, so the vacancy will be managed under the deputy chief prosecutor system.

Chief Prosecutor Lee's duties will be acted on by Park Seung-hwan, the 1st Deputy Chief Prosecutor, who oversees criminal cases. It is reported that Deputy Chief Cho's duties will be divided between Gong Bong-suk, the 2nd Deputy Chief Prosecutor in charge of criminal affairs, and Lee Sung-sik, the 3rd Deputy Chief Prosecutor who leads the public investigation division. The duties of Chief Choi are also expected to be acted on by the head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 3 under the 4th Deputy Chief Prosecutor.