Candidate for Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok Firmly Denies Allegations of Leaking Investigation Information in 'Jung Un-ho Gate' Scandal

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Candidate for Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok has flatly denied the so-called 'Jung Un-ho Gate' investigation information leak controversy, calling it "an impossible matter."

On the afternoon of the 19th, as he arrived at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Candidate Lee rebutted, "From the standpoint of needing to succeed in the investigation, it is impossible to leak investigation secrets outside."

According to the rulings of former Chief Judge Shin Gwang-ryeol and others, who were indicted in the so-called 'Judicial Farming' case and later acquitted, Candidate Lee, as the head of the Special 1st Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in 2016, was in charge of the 'Jung Un-ho Gate' investigation and conveyed investigation information several times to Kim Hyun-bo, then Ethics Inspector of the Court Administration Office.

The rulings stated that Candidate Lee made over 40 phone calls with Inspector Kim from May 2 to September 19, 2016, providing information related to the planned warrant requests and investigations into judicial misconduct in the 'Jung Un-ho Gate' case. Inspector Kim reported the information obtained in this way to Lim Jong-heon, then Deputy Director of the Court Administration Office.

Inspector Kim also detailed the contents of his calls with Candidate Lee under titles such as "Phone conversations with Deputy Director Lee Won-seok" in memos or reports 35 times. The rulings note that many parts of the memos overlapped or were similar to the information reported to former Deputy Director Lim.

This has led some to criticize it as an inappropriate act involving the leakage of investigation secrets.

Candidate Lee emphasized, "This case involved the arrest and indictment of about ten people, including former and current chief judges, current prosecutors, current police executives, and legal brokers, all of whom were found guilty in a strictly handled legal corruption case," adding, "The investigation was conducted strictly."

He further explained, "Since the judge in question was still performing trial duties, it was judged necessary to take personnel measures, suspend duties, discipline, and conduct inspections, so only the necessary parts were notified within the framework of institution-to-institution relations."

Candidate Lee also added, "I will calmly explain through the hearing preparation team."

It is known that Candidate Lee took a half-day leave in the morning for a health checkup and arrived at work in the afternoon on the same day.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office will soon complete the formation of the hearing preparation team and begin full-scale preparations for the personnel hearing.