Top prosecutor hints at probe of Lee Myung-bak

By Jung Min-ho

Prosecutor General Mun Moo-il speaks during a press conference at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in southern Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap

Former President Lee Myung-bak can’t be exempt from law enforcement, Prosecutor General Mun Moo-il said Tuesday when asked about investigations into alleged illegalities found during Lee’s term.

The ex-president has been suspected of involvement in the National Intelligence Service’s online smear campaign against then-liberal presidential candidate Moon Jae-in in the 2012 presidential election.

Asked whether the prosecution will investigate Lee, Mun said, “We cannot ignore the evidence we’ve gathered.” He declined to elaborate, but his remarks indicate the prosecution could soon look into the actions of the former president.

The prosecution has also been investigating an allegation the spy agency created a blacklist of artists to cut off from state subsidies while he was president.

It is looking into the BBK stock price manipulation scandal once again, in which Lee was accused of siphoning off money through stock price manipulation in 2007.

The incident reportedly caused 5,500 investors to lose about 100 billion won, but the prosecution concluded at that time he was not involved.

The top prosecutor also said the corruption trial of former President Park Geun-hye has nothing to do with “political revenge,” in response to a remark she made a day ago.

Speaking to reporters, Mun said the prosecution has handled her case according to the rule of law only.

“Violations of the Constitution and law were the cause (of what has happened to her),” Mun said. “Over the past year, the whole process has been led peacefully by the people.”

On Monday, Park said she “had lost faith” in the country’s justice system, claiming she was a victim of political revenge.

In her first public statement in six months, she criticized the court for its decision to extend her detention for another six months at the prosecution’s request.

Asked about her lawyers, who resigned in protest of the court’s decision, Mun said there was no need to panic.

“As far as I know, the court dealt with similar situations during the trial of former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo,” he said.

He also made it clear the prosecution under his leadership has not investigated anyone for political reasons. “We have not targeted anyone unfairly. Many high-profile investigations had already started before I took this post (in July),” he said.

The prosecution has been under pressure to reform itself to increase transparency. As part of the effort, Mun promised to make its decision-making process more transparent.

Under the new system, he noted, it will be easier to find out who issued orders for every case so that, when problems occur, it will be easier to figure out who is responsible for them.

Yet he refused to express his opinion about the Moon administration’s own reform plan — creating an independent body to investigate and indict high-ranking government officials and depriving the prosecution of some or all of its investigative powers.