Top prosecutor blasts main opposition party for attempting to impeach prosecutors

Prosecutor General Lee One-seok speaks to the reporters at the Supreme Prosecutors Office building in Seoul, Thursday. (Yonhap)

Prosecutor General Lee One-seok on Thursday slammed the main opposition Democratic Party for proposing a motion to impeach two active prosecutors on corruption charges, saying the party is out to protect its leader.

Lee told reporters outside the Supreme Prosecutors Office building in Seoul that the DP is trying to intimidate the prosecution in retaliation for its probe into allegations surrounding DP leader Lee Jae-myung.

"If they are trying to impeach prosecutors because they don't like the way prosecutors operate, then they may even try to impeach judges who hand down verdicts that they don't like," Lee said.

"They should stop with such unjust impeachments. But if they really have to impeach someone, they shouldn't go after prosecutors. They should impeach me, the prosecutor general, because I've been in charge of the investigation and indictment of Lee Jae-myung."

The two prosecutors in question are Son Jun-sung, based in the southeastern city of Daegu, and Lee Jung-seop, who works out of Suwon, just south of Seoul. They face various corruption allegations.

"They must not drag the prosecution into any political strife," Lee One-seok added. "I firmly believe that our investigators will reach the proper conclusion without succumbing to any external pressure."

Moments before Lee spoke to reporters, the Supreme Prosecutors Office released a statement also criticizing the Democratic Party of Korea.

"Attacking the prosecution and impeaching prosecutors based on political motives severely damages the political neutrality and impartiality of the prosecution," the statement read. "This amounts to the destruction of constitutionalism by multiple people." (Yonhap)