Lee Jun-seok on Lee Jae-myung's Proposal to Increase Public Corruption Investigation Office Prosecutors: "Similar to the Medical School Trickle-Down Theory"

Lee Jae-myung Expresses Will for Prosecution Reform and HCIC Empowerment
Lee Jun-seok: "Intimidating the Court Handling His Own Trial"
"HCIC's Incompetence Stems from Flawed Design from the Start"

Lee Jun-seok, a reformist New Party presidential pre-candidate, criticized former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung's plan to strengthen the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (HCIC) by saying, "He will stop at nothing, even erasing the form of state institutions for his own benefit." On the 15th, Lee posted on social media (SNS), stating, "(Former leader Lee) intends to significantly strengthen the HCIC to intimidate the court handling his trial," and added, "It seems to be a strategic move aimed at ultimately abolishing the prosecution and the courts altogether."

Lee Jun-seok, a preliminary presidential candidate of the Reform New Party, is greeting commuters in front of Gasan Digital Station in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, on the 16th. Photo by Yonhap News

Lee said, "The entire nation witnessed clearly during the arrest and investigation of Yoon Seok-yeol how incompetent the HCIC is, even releasing suspects they had caught," and criticized, "Yet candidate Lee Jae-myung is regressing by insisting on significantly strengthening the HCIC, as if he has lived in another country." He continued, "The HCIC's incompetence is not due to a lack of prosecutors but because its very design is flawed," and added, "The mindset that simply increasing the number of prosecutors will solve the problem is similar to Yoon Seok-yeol's unscientific delusion that increasing doctors will strengthen essential medical care through a trickle-down effect."

Lee pointed out, "Investigations aim for prosecution, so saying 'investigations should not be allowed just to prosecute' makes one question whether investigations are merely trivial acts of background checks, even doubting the basics of a politician." He further emphasized, "Disliking the prosecution and redistributing its powers here and there will only create more loopholes for criminals to escape, and the damage will fall squarely on the people," adding, "I hope the 'real Republic of Korea' that candidate Lee talks about is not a paradise for criminals."

Lee Jae-myung, former leader and presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the pledge ceremony for fair elections held at the National Assembly on the 16th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Earlier, former leader Lee revealed a special dialogue on the YouTube channel 'People Living in the World Roh Moo-hyun Foundation' with writer Yoo Si-min and Hanshin University Chair Professor Kim Yong-ok (Do-ol). At the event, he expressed his plan to separate investigation and prosecution by dividing the prosecution into a public prosecution office and an investigation office, and promised to expand and strengthen the HCIC, which had been questioned for its usefulness during the investigation of former President Yoon Seok-yeol.

In the dialogue, writer Yoo asked if "if former leader Lee becomes president, he might stop prosecutorial reform and appoint someone who listens to him as the Prosecutor General to start a serious purge." Lee responded, "Whether inside the Ministry of Justice or elsewhere, it is right to separate the investigative agency and the prosecution agency," adding, "Investigative agencies must also check each other. They must not monopolize power. I intend to significantly strengthen the HCIC. Currently, there are too few prosecutors within the HCIC." He also mentioned the independence and capacity enhancement of the National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters (NIH).

Regarding concerns about 'political retaliation,' former leader Lee said, "I don't understand why there is such a reaction," and added, "In my life, I have never retaliated against anyone who troubled me." However, he emphasized about the December 3 emergency martial law incident, "Integration and reconciliation are different. We must clearly uncover the truth, hold those responsible accountable, but we should not harass people unnecessarily for other reasons."