Lee accepts resignation of acting prosecutor general

Acting Prosecutor General Noh Man-seok speaks during his retirement ceremony at the Supreme Prosecutors Office in southern Seoul on Nov. 14, 2025, in this photo provided by the office. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday accepted the resignation of acting Prosecutor General Noh Man-seok, the presidential office said, amid an internal feud over the prosecution's decision not to appeal a high-profile corruption case.

Lee approved Noh's dismissal, presidential spokesperson Kim Nam-jun told reporters, two days after Noh tendered his resignation.

Noh offered to step down after prosecutors decided not to appeal against a corruption case involving a real estate development project in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, from when Lee was the city's major.

The decision not to appeal the case before last Friday's deadline has sparked strong pushback from within the ranks of prosecutors, raising suspicions that the justice ministry exerted undue pressure to prevent the prosecution from lodging the appeal in Lee's favor.

Noh gave no explanation for the prosecution's controversial decision during his retirement ceremony earlier in the day.

The justice ministry appointed Koo Ja-hyeon, chief of the Seoul High Prosecutors Office, as new deputy prosecutor general. Koo succeeds Noh's position in an acting capacity, with the prosecution seeking to avoid a leadership vacuum amid the mounting controversy.

"I am taking on a heavy responsibility during a difficult time," Koo told reporters. "I will faithfully carry out my duties, placing a top priority on ensuring the stability of the prosecution."