Lee Chang-soo, the Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, reportedly expressed his intention to resign to the Ministry of Justice on the 20th. The Chief Prosecutor approved the decision of non-indictment regarding Kim Keon-hee in relation to the 'Deutsch Motors stock manipulation' case last October. However, the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office began a reinvestigation into the case in April. Upon taking office in May last year, the Chief Prosecutor was evaluated as a 'pro-Yoon Seok-yeol prosecutor.'
On the same day, Jo Sang-won, the Vice Administrator of the Central District Prosecutors' Office, was also reported to have expressed his intention to resign to the Ministry of Justice. Vice Administrator Jo oversees special investigations at the Central District Prosecutors' Office.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office conducted an in-person investigation of Kim Keon-hee regarding the Deutsch Motors stock manipulation case on July 20th last year. However, Kim was not summoned to the prosecutor's office but was investigated at an external government security facility. Some pointed out that this was a 'privileged investigation' and a 'leniency probe.' Three months later, in October last year, the Central District Prosecutors' Office issued a non-indictment decision regarding Kim.
In response, the National Assembly passed a motion for impeachment against the Chief Prosecutor and Vice Administrator Jo on December 5th last year, citing insufficient investigation. The Constitutional Court unanimously dismissed the impeachment on March 13th. Consequently, the two returned to their duties after three months.
After the return of the Chief Prosecutor and Vice Administrator Jo, on April 25th, the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office decided to investigate the allegations involving Kim again. A legal expert noted, 'As the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office decided to reinvestigate the Deutsch Motors stock manipulation case, it is unusually conducting the investigation directly without transferring the case to the Central District Prosecutors' Office,' adding that 'the Chief Prosecutor, who previously issued a non-indictment decision in this case, may have felt significant pressure.'