[2024 National Audit] Suwon District Prosecutor General: "Prosecutor Park Sang-yong's Impeachment Hearing Was Not Fair"

"Ewhayeong's Lawyers Say Witness Adoption Not Allowed... Unfair"

Sehyun Park, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, is reporting on duties 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 Hyunmin Kim

Kim Yu-cheol, chief prosecutor of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, stated on the 2nd that he believed the 'Impeachment Investigation Hearing of Deputy Chief Prosecutor Park Sang-yong' was "unfair."

On the 18th, Song Seok-jun, a member of the People Power Party, referred to the impeachment investigation hearing of Prosecutor Park during the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee audit. In response, Prosecutor Kim said, "The core issue of the impeachment is whether there was any coercion or pressure," adding, "The people who know this best were Seol Joo-wan, the defense attorney for defendant Lee Hwa-young, and another lawyer named Lee."

He continued, "I believe it was unfair that those two were not selected as witnesses during the hearing," and added, "Moreover, one of them belonged to the Democratic Party's Legal Committee."

Some opposition lawmakers then protested, saying, "Please stop the answer," and Prosecutor Kim's response was temporarily halted. The Legislation and Judiciary Committee held the impeachment investigation hearing of Prosecutor Park, which was initiated by Democratic Party lawmaker Jang Kyung-tae on the 2nd.

Currently, the Democratic Party claims that Prosecutor Park, who investigated the 'Ssangbangwool illegal remittance to North Korea' case, forced Lee Hwa-young, former Deputy Governor for Peace of Gyeonggi Province, to make false statements with the political intent to suppress Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, during a drinking gathering.