Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok: "Impeach me, who is responsible for investigating and prosecuting Representative Lee Jae-myung"

Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok criticized the Democratic Party of Korea's impeachment proposal on the 9th against Lee Jeong-seop, the Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office 2nd Division, and Son Jun-sung, the Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Daegu High Prosecutors' Office, who are overseeing the investigation of party leader Lee Jae-myung, calling it a "political impeachment" and said they should rather impeach him, who is responsible for the investigation and prosecution.

On the same day, Prosecutor General Lee met with reporters in front of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office building in Seocho-gu, Seoul, and said, "The reason for the Democratic Party's impeachment of prosecutors is well known to our people and the prosecution," adding, "The Democratic Party's impeachment of prosecutors is a retaliatory impeachment for the investigation of the party leader. It is a threatening impeachment aimed at intimidating prosecutors and paralyzing the prosecution. And it is a shield impeachment intended to block the judicial process of the party leader."

Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok is expressing his position on the impeachment proposal filed by the Democratic Party of Korea against two prosecutors, Son Jun-sung, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Daegu High Prosecutors' Office, and Lee Jung-seop, Second Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, as he leaves work at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 9th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

He said, "If prosecutors are impeached just because the prosecution is disliked, in the future, judges who deliver rulings that are not liked might also be impeached," and added, "Such unjust impeachment must stop."

He continued, "If they still want to impeach the prosecution, they should not impeach the prosecutors but rather impeach me, the Prosecutor General, who is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of party leader Lee Jae-myung."

Prosecutor General Lee said, "The prosecution wants to work for the people," and appealed, "I earnestly ask the people to give the prosecution the opportunity to work."

He stated, "Our constitution recognizes impeachment only for serious violations of duty that justify dismissal. Prosecutor Andong-wan, who was previously impeached, was impeached nine years after handling the case. Prosecutor Son Jun-sung was impeached one and a half years after being indicted. Prosecutor Lee Jeong-seop was impeached immediately after the Democratic Party recently raised suspicions," and added, "If the misconduct was clear enough to warrant impeachment, I cannot help but question why it was done now after nine years or one and a half years."

He mentioned cases involving Democratic Party lawmakers Yoon Mi-hyang and Kim Nam-guk, interpreting the current impeachment push against these prosecutors as political.

Prosecutor General Lee said, "Lawmakers who received bribes, lawmakers who received illegal political funds, lawmakers who sexually harassed aides, lawmakers who embezzled subsidies meant for victim grandmothers, lawmakers who committed violence in the National Assembly, lawmakers involved in real estate speculation, and lawmakers who speculated in virtual assets in the National Assembly?impeachment or expulsion of these lawmakers is practically and legally impossible in our reality," and added, "Nevertheless, the impeachment proposal was filed including prosecutors investigating party leader Lee Jae-myung, which we cannot help but interpret as political."

He continued, "The prosecution and judiciary should not be dragged into political strife, nor can they be dragged into or involved in political strife."

Regarding concerns that the impeachment proposal against the Deputy Chief Prosecutor might cause disruptions in the investigation, Prosecutor General Lee said, "If the Deputy Chief Prosecutor is impeached and the motion is passed, their duties will be suspended going forward," adding, "Therefore, normal performance of duties will be impossible. There will be disruptions in the investigation."

He added, "However, I firmly believe that the investigation team will not yield to any external pressure and will properly conclude the investigation."