South Korea: Two senior prosecutors offer to resign amid controversy over probe into ex-First Lady

Seoul, May 20 (IANS) Two senior prosecutors of South Korea who have faced criticism for allegedly mishandling a probe into former First Lady Kim Keon Hee over her alleged involvement in a stock price manipulation scheme have offered to resign, judiciary sources said on Tuesday.

Lee Chang-soo, chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, and Cho Sang-won, deputy chief prosecutor at the same office, tendered their resignations to the Justice Ministry earlier in the day, according to the sources.

Lee is known to have cited health reasons for his resignation offer.

The senior prosecutors, alongside the chief state auditor, were impeached by the National Assembly in December following the now impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law bid on December 3.

They have been accused of failing to indict the former First Lady and making false claims regarding the investigation during press briefings, Yonhap news agency reported.

The Constitutional Court, however, rejected the impeachments in a March 13 ruling. The court said it was not an abuse of authority to question the First Lady at a location outside of the prosecution's office and that no false claims were made.

Earlier on May 16, prosecutors had raided the residence of Kim Keon Hee and Chanel Korea as part of investigations into various suspicions over relations between ousted President Yoon and his wife and a controversial shaman.

They said the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office recently sent investigators to search the former secretary's residence and the office of Chanel Korea to secure evidence related to the whereabouts of gifts reportedly given to Kim from shaman Jeon Seong-bae, also known as Geon Jin.

Prosecutors are looking into allegations that a high-ranking Unification Church official gifted a diamond necklace and a Chanel bag to Kim in exchange for various favours after Yoon's election as President in 2022.

Chanel Korea said it was responding to the prosecution's investigation "sincerely", without elaborating on the details of the case.

Last month, the prosecution also raided Yoon's residence in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, along with Kim's office and the residences of two of her secretaries.

However, they reportedly failed to secure much of the evidence, including the necklace in question, nor succeeded in unlocking the former First Lady's cellphone.

--IANS

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