Lee names 3 independent counsels to investigate cases surrounding Yoon, his wife, Marine death
President Lee Jae-myung is present at a briefing at the presidential office in Yongsan, Wednesday. Yonhap
President Lee Jae-myung has designated three independent counsels to investigate former President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law imposition, corruption allegations involving his wife, and the tragic death of a Marine, the ruling party said Friday.
The Democratic Party said that the presidential office notified it of the designations on Thursday night, after the party had submitted its recommendations to the office.
Lee designated Cho Eun-suk, former acting chief of the Board of Audit and Inspection, to investigate a series of charges against Yoon, including insurrection and military mutiny, over the martial law debacle in December.
Min Joong-ki, former chief of the Seoul Central District Court, was named to lead a probe into former first lady Kim Keon Hee over various allegations, including stock price manipulation, her acceptance of a luxury bag and interference with the election nomination process.
The president named Lee Myeong-hyeon, a former senior official at the Defense Ministry's prosecutors' office to investigate a series of allegations surrounding the death of a Marine, surnamed Chae, in July 2023. Chae was found dead after being swept away while on a mission to search for torrential rain victims.
From left: Cho Eun-suk, former acting chief of the Board of Audit and Inspection; Min Joong-ki, former chief judge of the Seoul Central District Court; and Lee Myeong-hyeon, former senior official at the Defense Ministry's prosecutors' office. Yonhap
The ruling party recommended Cho and Min, while Lee was recommended by the Rebuilding Korea Party.
As the president designated the special counsels just hours after he received recommendations from the two parties, efforts to launch investigation teams are expected to accelerate.
Independent counsels will have up to 20 days to prepare their investigations, with full-scale probes expected to begin early next month.
A maximum of 120 prosecutors will be assigned to the three investigation teams, including 60 for the probe into Yoon's martial law case and 40 for the investigation into his wife's scandals.