Top prosecutor to sit out parliamentary hearing on Yoon impeachment

Prosecutor General Lee One-Seok responds to reporters on his way to work at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Tuesday. [NEWS1] Tensions between the prosecution and the presidential office grew following criticism that first lady Kim Keon Hee received special treatment in her interrogation on Saturday. Prosecutor General Lee One-seok in turn announced on Tuesday that he would not attend a parliamentary hearing scheduled for Friday on a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol. Related ArticleTop prosecutor criticizes special treatment of first lady during questioningProsecutor general apologizes for special treatment in first lady’s interrogationProsecutors grill first lady for 12 hours over stock manipulation, handbag allegations “Summoning the prosecutor general as a witness to a hearing on a petition concerning the president's impeachment and demanding responses about ongoing investigations exceed the limits of legislative power and undermine the foundation of the rule of law,” Lee said in a statement. He noted that his attendance at the hearing would "unjustly" affect the investigations and trials that should proceed neutrally and would “harm political neutrality.” The National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee summoned Lee as one of the witnesses for the hearing, asking him to report on the investigations of the first lady’s luxury handbag scandal and whether there was external pressure in conducting the investigation. The parliamentary judiciary committee is scheduled to hold the hearing on Friday to review the petition that calls for an impeachment motion against Yoon over five accusations, including alleged meddling in the investigation of a Marine’s death and the first lady’s alleged involvement in a stock manipulation case. Kim and her mother were also summoned as witnesses for the hearing. However, the presidential office has maintained its stance against attending the “unconstitutional and illegal” hearing. Lee’s statement came amid mounting criticism against the prosecution after the Seoul Central District Prosecution’s Office privately summoned the first lady and questioned her for 12 hours on Saturday without notifying the prosecutor general or the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office beforehand. The questioning marked the first in-person interrogation on Kim’s alleged involvement in Deutsch Motors' stock manipulation since the case was filed in April 2020 as well as her luxury handbag scandal from December of last year. It also marks the first time the prosecution questioned an incumbent first lady in person. The liberal Democratic Party (DP) had requested that the prosecutor general attend the hearing and further explain the matter after it was revealed that the prosecution questioned Kim at a government building under the control of the Presidential Security Service instead of the prosecutors' office. The first lady was questioned over allegations that she accepted a $2,200 Christian Dior handbag from a pastor and suspicions of involvement in a stock manipulation case. The prosecutor general was informed of the questioning 10 hours into the interrogation. Lee on Monday apologized to the public regarding the first lady’s questioning, acknowledging Kim’s special treatment during the investigation. On Tuesday, the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, led by Rep. Cho Kuk, proposed a special counsel probe bill to investigate accusations against both Yoon and his wife, including the president's alleged interference in the investigation of then-chief prosecutor Han Dong-hoon while he served as the prosecutor general. “The president and the first lady have been involved in different criminal allegations, but the investigative authorities have rather increased public distrust,” Rep. Park Eun-jung of the minor party said during a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul. Following the news that the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office plans to investigate the closed-door questioning of the first lady held outside of the prosecutors' office, a senior prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office submitted a resignation letter on Monday. The prosecutor reportedly said he was included in the list of those being inspected despite “investigating the case as diligently” as he was supposed to. BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]