Prosecutor General Lee One-seok said, Monday, he believes there was “preferential treatment” in the prosecution’s Saturday questioning of first lady Kim Keon Hee over her luxury handbag scandal and alleged involvement in a stock manipulation case.
He admitted that holding the questioning behind closed doors outside the prosecutors’ office undermines the rule of law and apologized to the public for this lapse.
The questioning of the first lady highlighted a significant clash between the top prosecutor and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, as the prosecutor general was kept in the dark about the interrogation until 10 hours after it had begun.
“Since taking office, I have repeatedly said the law does not favor the rich and powerful. I have said there are no exceptions, preferential treatment or sanctuary before the law, but these principles were not observed in the questioning of the president’s wife. I deeply apologize to the citizens,” Lee told reporters on his way to work.
His remarks came after the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, responsible for the investigation, questioned Kim in person over the weekend at a government building instead of the prosecutor’s office. This decision, apparently made for safety and security reasons, contradicted the top prosecutor’s earlier promise not to offer preferential treatment to the first lady, including avoiding secretive summons or non-standard questioning locations.
Lee confirmed that he was not notified in advance about the questioning of the first lady. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office explained that the questioning on the stock manipulation allegations took place first, a procedure which, 토토 according to a 2020 order from the justice minister at the time, was not required to be reported to the top prosecutor. The questioning related to the handbag scandal began after 9 p.m., and Lee was informed only as the session was nearing its end.
“I wasn’t informed about the process of [Kim’s] investigation. I take responsibility for not properly leading the prosecutors’ office. I will spare no efforts to uphold the constitutional principle that ‘all are equal before the law’ during the remaining legal procedures involving the first lady,” Lee said, hinting that he will not step down over the issue. The prosecutor general’s two-year term expires in mid-September.
