Key facts
- Nominee Lee Yong-cheol said the special counsel should focus solely on uncovering the truth, with other matters handled under law and established principles.
- The People Power Party suspects the special counsel bill is aimed at canceling all indictments against the president.
- Lee rejected opposition allegations that he was a behind-the-scenes architect of the 2015 Seongnam Daejang-dong real estate development scandal.
- Lee said he did not believe close personal ties to the president constitute grounds for disqualification as a minister.
- Lee currently heads the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and was tapped for the justice post on November 6.
Justice Minister nominee Lee Yong-cheol said on November 9 that he believes the special counsel should focus solely on uncovering the truth, while all other matters should be handled in accordance with the law and established principles. He spoke to reporters at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, referring to similar remarks made by the president in September.
The National Assembly passed the special counsel bill the same day amid protests from the main opposition People Power Party, which suspects the legislation is aimed at canceling all indictments against the president. The bill covers allegations of fabricated indictments, including those that currently involve the president.
Lee was tapped on November 6 to become justice minister, a post vacant for more than two months since Jung Sung-ho resigned in late August. Jung had said the decision on whether to withdraw an indictment targeting the president was a matter for the prosecution, while acting Justice Minister Lee Jin-soo said Jung made clear the ministry had no intention of ordering the nullification of indictments. Unlike Jung, nominee Lee refrained from taking a clear position.
Lee rejected opposition allegations that he was a behind-the-scenes architect of the 2015 real estate development scandal in Seongnam's Daejang-dong district, when President Lee was the city's mayor. Addressing criticism of his close personal ties to the president, the nominee said he did not believe such a relationship constitutes grounds for disqualification. He said he interpreted the nomination as a mandate to complete prosecution reform and stabilize the new criminal justice system as soon as possible.