Prosecutor general slams DP's impeachment motion against Lee Jae-myung investigators

Prosecutor General Lee One-seok said Friday that the impeachment of prosecutors involved in corruption investigations into former Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung railroaded by the DP was illegal.

Prosecutor General Lee One-seok speaks to reporters on his way to work at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Friday. [NEWS1]

Prosecutor General Lee One-seok said Friday that the impeachment of prosecutors involved in corruption investigations into former Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung railroaded by the DP was illegal and that he would review whether there were violations of immunity in the process.

"This is an abuse of power and defamation by spreading false information as it abuses legislative power by forcing others to do things they are not obliged to do and interferes with their rights," Lee said while meeting with reporters on his way to work on Friday. "I will review illegal aspects that fall outside of the scope of immunity given to members of the National Assembly."

The DP submitted the controversial impeachment motion regarding four prosecutors to the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee earlier this week, triggering a backlash from many senior prosecutors.

Lee One-seok called the motion "a bulletproof impeachment aimed only at protecting one person." The four prosecutors named in the impeachment motion investigated and led cases related to former DP leader Lee Jae-myung, including the Daejang-dong land development scandal and the Seongnam FC controversy.

The top prosecutor had previously criticized the impeachment as "an attempt to avoid criminal punishment by impeaching prosecutors who are investigating and trying a powerful person."

Regarding the DP's plan to hold a hearing of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee and summon the prosecutors in question, Lee One-seok asked, "If they were confident and honorable in their call for impeachment, wouldn't they have passed the National Assembly vote immediately and sent the impeachment bill to the Constitutional Court?"

"I don't think anyone in the DP thinks these impeachments will be approved by the Constitutional Court and take effect," said Lee.

Regarding the push to impeach the prosecutors ahead of the end of his term as Prosecutor General in September, Lee said he was staying in office not for his own safety "but for the prosecution to work properly." He added, "I will do my job as best as possible until I retire."

Meanwhile, when asked about the investigation into first lady Kim Keon Hee regarding allegations that she had received a luxury handbag from a Korean American pastor, Lee said, "I have repeated this many times, but there is no sanctuary, exception or preference above our laws." He said Kim's case was being "handled thoroughly and meticulously by the investigative teams."

BY CHUNG JIN-WOO, LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]