Justice minister nominee denies intention to cancel indictments against Lee once in office

Kim Seung-won, a Justice Minister nominee for the Democratic Party of Korea, recently denied any plans to cancel indictments against President Lee Jae Myung should he assume office. The nominee explained that, as the head of the judiciary, his position does not have direct authority over such matters and he has no intention to issue orders through the prosecutor general. Kim acknowledged that prosecutors have the authority over maintaining indictments in individual cases and he would respect that.

Kim's involvement in a group of DPK lawmakers calling for the withdrawal of Lee's criminal indictments has, however, drawn criticism from the main opposition People Power Party. The nominee clarified that his participation in this group was aimed at conveying the public's stance to correct perceived wrongs in cases brought by the state through illegal investigations. Kim specifically accused Lee's prosecutors of politically motivated trials, which led to his calls for cancelling Lee's indictments.