[2020 National Audit] Lee Seong-yoon's Words on the Test... "Faithful to the Prosecution's Original Duty"

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] Lee Seong-yoon, the chief prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, appeared at his first official public event. On the 19th, at the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee's audit session on the prosecution offices under the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, Lee stated, "We will become the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office that faithfully fulfills the prosecution's original duties." Lee is overseeing the investigation into the Optimus case, which escalated from a fund fraud case to allegations of lobbying involving political and government circles. His remarks on this case are expected to serve as a gauge for predicting the direction of the investigation.

On this day, Lee attended the National Assembly's audit for the first time since his inauguration in January. Compared to Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, who frequently uses Facebook, and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, who makes weighty statements depending on the issue, Lee has had less public exposure, but in terms of his role, he is undoubtedly the top focus within the prosecution.

The attention on Lee's statements is due to this reason. Although Lee, who is classified as pro-government, voluntarily took charge of the Optimus case assigned to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in June, there had been little progress in the investigation until recently.

However, the situation changed with the emergence of documents related to 'fund defect remediation' involving government and ruling party officials. While the investigation team has taken a cautious stance, they requested additional personnel from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office for a swift investigation. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office accepted the request and, while asking the Ministry of Justice, also ordered an increase in the investigation team. With President Moon Jae-in's cooperation directive and Minister Choo's approval to reinforce the investigation team, conditions for accelerating the case investigation have been established.

However, it remains uncertain whether Lee, who leans toward the ruling party, can conduct a fair investigation without any sacred cows. Previously, both the investigation team and Minister Choo publicly stated that they had not secured documents naming specific political and government figures. This is why Lee's remarks at the audit can help predict not only the future direction of the investigation but also its outcome.

The conflict between Prosecutor General Yoon and Lee may also be highlighted again. Earlier, Yoon and Lee showed differences in opinion over the scale of prosecutor dispatch during the process of expanding the Optimus investigation team. Yoon withdrew Lee's plan to dispatch four prosecutors and increased the number to ten. In response, Minister Choo, unlike her usual immediate approval of prosecutor dispatch requests, deliberated for two days and ultimately reduced the number to five.

Lee will also have to respond regarding the investigation of Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon, who was investigated as an accomplice in the attempted coercion case involving a former Channel A reporter. Attention is also focused on Lee's stance toward Deputy Chief Prosecutor Jeong Jin-woong of the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office, who engaged in a physical altercation with Prosecutor Han during a search and seizure operation.

In the legal community, there is analysis that Lee is being tested as a potential candidate for the next Prosecutor General. As a junior alumnus of Kyung Hee University's Law School under President Moon and having rapidly advanced since the current administration's inception, many expect Lee to become the next Prosecutor General. Therefore, his handling of the Optimus investigation is bound to significantly influence the future landscape.

The Lime scandal, which escalated into a full-scale confrontation between Minister Choo and Prosecutor General Yoon following the release of a prison letter by former Star Mobility Chairman Kim Bong-hyun, is also the biggest issue at this audit. Last weekend, Minister Choo announced that the prosecution had not conducted a proper investigation and that a separate investigation was being considered. Yoon's side immediately refuted this with somewhat harsh remarks calling it 'slander,' stating that the announcement was unfounded. Currently, the Lime case is under investigation by the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office.

Additionally, the audit will hear further statements from the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office regarding the decision of no charges in the investigation into Minister Choo's son's 'failure to return from leave.' The opposition has continuously criticized the investigation as a 'lenient investigation' despite clear evidence such as KakaoTalk conversations.