Chief Prosecutor Condemns DPK Impeachment Motion as Illegal Act

Prosecutor General Lee One-seok on Friday denounced as unlawful the main opposition party’s move to indict four prosecutors, mostly involved in corruption investigations against former party leader Lee Jae-myung.

The Democratic Party of Korea (DPP) submitted a controversial impeachment motion to the National Assembly’s Legislative and Judiciary Committee earlier this week, drawing criticism from several senior prosecutors.

The chief prosecutor, who has already criticized the motion as an unconstitutional interference in court procedures, sharpened his rhetoric, saying the prosecutor’s office would investigate whether DPK MPs had abused their powers and parliamentary immunity.

“It is believed that the planned impeachment proceedings against the DPK constitute an abuse of power as lawmakers as they are abusing their legislative powers and interfering in the exercise of the rights of others, violating the constitution and laws,” Lee told reporters on his way to work.

“(The motion) could also be considered defamatory by misrepresentation and raises a number of legal issues,” he said, adding that a legal review would be carried out to see if any parts of it fell outside parliamentary immunity.

Lee’s comments suggest that the prosecution will take legal action against the DPK’s impeachment motion, as he once again stressed his determination to prove that the planned impeachment is unconstitutional and illegal. (Yonhap)