New acting prosecutor general takes office

Lee Jeong-hyun, the newly appointed deputy prosecutor general, officially began work as acting prosecutor general.

“I feel a heavy responsibility taking on this important role at a difficult time,” Lee said as he arrived at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho District, southern Seoul, Wednesday morning. “I will do everything I can to ensure that the prosecution service can quickly establish itself as an institution that protects human rights. In particular, I will make every effort to protect socially vulnerable people and victims of crime.”

Asked by reporters about concerns that indictments in cases involving President Lee Jae Myung could be withdrawn, the new prosecutor general said a fact-finding team “is currently conducting an investigation" and that he would "have to look at its findings.”

Regarding past remarks in which he said the investigation into one case involving the president — the probe into the Ssangbangwool Group's remittances to North Korea — had been mishandled, Lee said, “Past prosecutors general and justice ministers have emphasized restrained investigations and dignified investigations that remove only the diseased part. In that respect, some aspects did not meet those standards.”

Lee added that while his earlier remarks had been a general response, they reflected his basic philosophy regarding investigations initiated by prosecutors.

Asked about the Justice Ministry's push to reduce the number of prosecutors, Lee said that he will have to look further, but that he saw prosecutors' offices “struggling with backlogs of 600 to 700 unresolved cases" while serving as chief prosecutor of the Suwon High Prosecutors' Office.

"So there is a considerable shortage of personnel actually working in the field. We will have to discuss that issue closely with the Justice Ministry," Lee said.

“The more difficult the circumstances, the more important it is to work together and communicate," Lee said regarding concerns among prosecutors ahead of the launch of the Prosecution Service. "I consider communication the most important thing, and I will devote myself to sharing information with one another on any matter so that even minor misunderstandings do not arise.”

The Justice Ministry appointed Lee, then chief prosecutor of the Suwon High Prosecutors' Office, as deputy prosecutor general on Tuesday. The appointment came more than a month after acting Prosecutor General Koo Ja-hyeon offered to resign on July 31 after the National Assembly passed a bill to completely abolish prosecutors' investigative authority.

BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]