Prosecutor General says, ‘There are no exceptions,’ regarding investigation into allegations against First Lady

Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok answers questions from reporters as he leaves the Supreme Prosecutors\' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, Wednesday afternoon. Yonhap News Agency

Prosecutors are speeding up their investigation into allegations that Kim Keon-hee, the spouse of President Yoon Suk-yeol, received luxury bags. Prosecutors have recently summoned Pastor Choi Jae-young who claims to have delivered various gifts to Kim. Prosecutor General Lee One-seok emphasized on June 3 that “there are no exceptions, no preferential treatment, and no sanctuary before the law” in the investigation into the allegations against Kim. Some speculated that the possibility of a direct investigation into Kim was also left open. How the prosecutors investigate Kim and the presidential office is expected to be a watershed moment in the success or failure of the investigation.

“I believe the investigation team will fully review the circumstances of the investigation and the necessity of the investigation and come to the right conclusion,” Lee told reporters when asked about the need to summon Kim. “I always emphasize to the prosecutors that in every case, they must uphold the principle and standard that there are no exceptions, no preferences and no sanctuary before the law.”

Lee told prosecutors, "I am urging and believing that the prosecutors should do their best with the idea of walking the straight and narrow regardless of their status and position, and political parties’ interests, adding, "In principle, I only have the idea to investigate according to the evidence and legal principles. I will do my best."

Earlier, Lee reportedly received a report on the progress of the investigation and future plans from Kim Seung-ho, chief of Criminal Division 1 at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, who is investigating Kim’s allegation of receiving a luxury bag. It is said that Kim was also called to the place where Lee received a regular weekly report from Lee Chang-soo, the head of the Central District Prosecutors' Office. It is not common for a prosecutor general to receive a report on a specific case directly from a chief prosecutor. It is interpreted that it shows Lee's high level of interest and willingness to investigate.

On May 2, Lee instructed Song Kyung-ho, the then head of the Central District Prosecutors' Office, to form a dedicated team to investigate the allegations against Kim and ordered to “quickly and thoroughly investigate and clarify the truth in accordance with evidence and legal principles.” The next day, three more prosecutors were deployed to the Criminal Division 1. In a high-level prosecutor reshuffle announced late last month, only Kim Seung-ho and Choi Jae-hoon, head of the anti-corruption investigation department investigating Kim's alleged involvement in the manipulation of Deutsche Motors stock prices, were retained.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.