Top prosecutor vows to seek due punishment for Lee through further probe

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Sat, December 9, 2023 | 09:10

Politics

Top prosecutor vows to seek due punishment for Lee through further probe

Posted : 2023-09-27 11:21

Updated : 2023-09-27 15:00

Prosecutor General Lee One-seok speaks to reporters before entering his office in southern Seoul, Sept. 27. Yonhap

Prosecutor General Lee One-seok said Wednesday the prosecution will conduct further investigation into criminal allegations against Lee Jae-myung to seek due punishment for him after a court rejected an arrest warrant against the leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea(DPK) earlier in the day.

The Seoul Central District Court turned down the prosecution's request to detain the DPK leader following more than seven hours of hearing Tuesday, citing lack of direct evidence and other reasons. He is accused of breach of trust, bribery and other charges stemming from his time as mayor of Seongnam, south of Seoul, years ago in connection with a scandal-ridden land development project and his alleged involvement in a company's illegal cash remittance to North Korea.

Prosecutor General Lee said there were considerable differences between the prosecution and the court regarding the arrest warrant decision, cautioning against any move to turn the judicial matters into a political issue.

"The prosecution will do its best to seek appropriate punishment commensurate with crimes after carrying out additional investigation into criminal allegations," the top prosecutor told reporters on the way to his office in southern Seoul.

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"The trial has not even started yet. I and front-line investigation teams will thoroughly check the investigation situations and future plans," he said, emphasizing his intent to conduct investigations, trials and judicial procedures solely based on evidence and legal principles.

Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon also made similar remarks before reporters almost at the same time, saying the court's rejection of an arrest warrant for the DPK leader does not mean that he is not guilty.

"An arrest warrant decision is only an intermediate process for the criminal investigation. I believe the prosecution will continue to investigate without being affected (by the court decision)," Han said. (Yonhap)