Former Prosecutor General Summoned in Probe Over First Lady's Investigation

South Korea's special prosecutor team, tasked with investigating remaining cases from the "3-person special prosecutor" mandate, has summoned former Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok to appear as a witness. The summons relates to allegations that Lee may have been involved in suppressing investigations into First Lady Kim Keon-hee, specifically concerning accusations of stock price manipulation and the acceptance of a luxury bag.

The special prosecution team announced on June 19 that Lee Won-seok had been formally notified to attend for questioning on June 23. However, Lee's side has not yet responded regarding his appearance. The investigation is focusing on the process by which the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office decided to clear Kim Keon-hee of charges related to the alleged stock manipulation of Deutsch Motors and the luxury bag incident.

Lee Won-seok, who served as the first Prosecutor General under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, had previously ordered the formation of a dedicated investigative team for the First Lady's cases in May 2024. Records indicate that just three days after this directive, Kim Keon-hee sent text messages to then-Justice Minister Park Sung-bae, inquiring about the identity of the person who ordered the team's formation and the status of her own investigation.

Shortly after Park Sung-bae and Kim Keon-hee exchanged these messages, the leadership of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office was reportedly changed. Subsequently, in October 2024, prosecutors decided not to indict Kim Keon-hee on charges of receiving luxury goods and stock price manipulation.

The special prosecution team is expected to question Lee Won-seok about whether he received any directives or requests from higher authorities, such as the presidential office, to suppress the investigation. This inquiry aims to ascertain the extent of any potential external influence on the prosecutorial decisions concerning the First Lady.

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Lee Won-seok was notified to appear for questioning as a witness on the 23rd.