Lee Jeonghyun Begins First Day as Acting Prosecutor General... "Will Review Fact-Finding Results on President Lee's Prosecution Withdrawal"

Avoids Direct Answer on Withdrawing Charges
Ssangbangwool Remittance Comments Called “Principled Response”
Expresses Caution Over Reducing Number of Prosecutors

Lee Jeonghyun, the new deputy prosecutor general at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, addressed concerns on September 23 about the possibility of withdrawing charges in cases related to President Lee Jaemyung, stating, "I believe we will need to review the findings of the fact-finding team."

Lee Jung-hyun, newly appointed Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, who will serve as the acting Prosecutor General, is speaking on his first day at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul on September 23, 2026. Photo by Jo Yongjun

Speaking to reporters as he arrived for his first day at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul that morning, Deputy Chief Lee remarked, "I feel a heavy sense of responsibility taking on this important role during a difficult time."

With Lee expected to serve as acting prosecutor general and likely to continue leading the organization even after the launch of the Public Prosecution Office on October 2, legal circles have been watching closely to see his stance on whether to maintain prosecutions in the cases involving President Lee. Particularly, controversy arose over whether his appointment was made with an eye toward dropping the charges, since Lee had openly criticized the investigative approach to the Ssangbangwool illegal remittance to North Korea case during a National Assembly hearing in April.

At the time, Lee described the investigation into the Ssangbangwool remittance incident as "a very misguided approach," but he explained that this comment reflected his broader philosophy on investigative work. He added, "Successive prosecutor generals and justice ministers have emphasized restrained investigations with dignity, focusing only on what is necessary. In this regard, I was simply pointing out potential shortcomings according to this standard."

He also said, "I will do my utmost to ensure that the new Public Prosecution Office is established early as a reliable institution for human rights protection. In particular, I will see to it that the socially disadvantaged and crime victims receive the protection they need."

Lee expressed caution regarding the Ministry of Justice's move to reduce the number of prosecutors. Citing his recent experience as chief prosecutor at the Suwon High Prosecutors' Office, Lee noted, "Based on my review of local work, each prosecutor's office was handling around 240 to 270 cases, which indicates a significant shortage of actual staff." He added, "This is an issue that will need close coordination with the Ministry of Justice."

Amid continued concerns among staff ahead of the launch of the Public Prosecution Office, Lee emphasized communication. "The more difficult the circumstances, the more important it is to work together and communicate," he said. "I consider communication paramount and will prioritize sharing all information to prevent even minor misunderstandings."

On relations with the Major Crimes Investigation Agency and the police, Lee stated, "The command structure has now changed to an equal and collaborative relationship," adding, "Moving forward, we need to strengthen our cooperation, including signing formal business agreements (MOUs) in advance." He continued, "This is the kind of horizontal and desirable relationship national agencies should have."

The Ministry of Justice appointed Lee as part of a targeted personnel move the previous day to fill the vacancy left by former deputy prosecutor general Koo Jahyun's resignation and to prepare for the establishment of the Public Prosecution Office. Koo submitted his resignation last July, taking responsibility after the National Assembly passed amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act that abolished prosecutors' rights to direct and supplemental investigations.

Born in Naju, Jeollanam-do, Lee Jeonghyun was promoted to chief prosecutor during the Moon Jae-in administration and served as head of the Public Security Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. Shortly after the launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration in May 2022, he was reassigned to a research role at the Legal Research and Training Institute—a de facto sidelining. However, following the start of the Lee Jaemyung government, he was appointed chief prosecutor at the Suwon High Prosecutors' Office.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.