Prosecutors have sought an 18-month prison sentence for Lee Jeong-seop, a prosecutor accused of accessing and disclosing the criminal record of a private individual through a junior colleague. The request was made on October 2 at a hearing before the Seoul Central District Court, where the case involves alleged violations of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act and the disclosure of confidential official information.
The prosecution argued that Lee had abandoned the duties expected of a prosecutor and used the criminal justice process for personal interests. A prosecutor from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials also said that a senior public official serving in the prosecution should protect citizens’ rights and set an example in maintaining the rule of law. Both sides sought a serious punishment, though the sentence requested is not a final judgment.
- Sentence requested
- 18 months in prison
- Judgment date
- December 9
- Court
- Seoul Central District Court
Lee denied the prosecution’s characterization of the case in his closing statement. He argued that the investigation had proceeded from a mistaken understanding of basic facts and that prosecutors had relied on an excessive interpretation of the evidence before sending the matter to the court. He also rejected the suggestion that institutional protection or favoritism had prevented a thorough investigation.
The charges include allegedly arranging a false address registration so that a child could attend an elementary school, receiving accommodation costs from an executive of a large company at a resort, and obtaining criminal-record information about a domestic worker employed at his brother-in-law’s home through a junior prosecutor. Prosecutors also allege that the information was conveyed to the worker’s relative through Lee’s wife.
Lee said the investigation began with a mistaken understanding of basic facts and relied on an excessive interpretation of evidence.
The case was expanded after the prosecution initially charged Lee over the alleged false address registration, the anti-graft law violation and unauthorized access to or disclosure of criminal justice information. The Corruption Investigation Office separately indicted him on the alleged disclosure of official secrets, and the proceedings were later combined. The court has set December 9 as the date for announcing its judgment.