Iwonseok Acting Prosecutor General: "I Believe Prosecutors Will Conduct Investigations with Neutrality and Fairness"

Lee "Current issue investigation not yet identified... No plans to additionally establish 'Hapsudan'"

Lee Won-seok, the newly appointed Deputy Prosecutor General of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, is answering questions from reporters as he arrives at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office building in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 24th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Kyung-jun] Lee Won-seok, Acting Prosecutor General (Deputy Prosecutor General of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office), stated, "I believe the investigation will be conducted with well-maintained neutrality and fairness."

On the morning of the 24th, while arriving at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, Lee responded to reporters' questions about the investigation directive policy by saying, "Since the chief prosecutors are all present at the frontline offices and there are investigation teams, I believe they will conduct the investigation with dedication and full effort."

He added, "Regarding important current issues, I have not yet grasped any details nor received any reports, so I will explain gradually."

Currently, the prosecution is investigating ▲ the Daejang-dong development corruption allegations ▲ the Ministry of Industry blacklist allegations case ▲ the Lee Jae-myung lawyer fee payment allegations case ▲ and the Wolseong nuclear power plant related allegations case.

Regarding the constitutional review on the so-called ‘Prosecution Reform Act’ which amended the Criminal Procedure Act and the Prosecutors' Office Act, he said, "It has not been filed yet, nor have I received any reports."

About the local elections approaching in a week and the first directive issued the previous day, he stated, "I judged that the investigation must be conducted with fairness and neutrality regarding the local elections, so I urgently issued the directive," adding, "Since the frontline offices are on emergency duty, I believe they will conduct the investigation properly within an appropriate scope."

Regarding the plan to additionally establish joint investigation teams at nationwide ‘priority prosecutors' offices,’ he said, "The intention is to ensure smooth activation by reviewing designated priority prosecutors' offices and situations," and added, "I plan to review the nationwide offices' situations and receive reports in the future, but nothing has been planned yet."