Prosecutor General Lee One-seok speaks to reporters on his way to work at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

Prosecutor General Lee One-seok said, Monday, he believes there was "preferential treatment" in the prosecution's Saturday questioning of first lady Kim Keon Hee over her luxury handbag scandal and alleged involvement in a stock manipulation case.

He admitted that holding the questioning behind closed doors outside the prosecutors' office undermines the rule of law and apologized to the public for this lapse.

The questioning of the first lady highlighted a significant clash between the top prosecutor and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, as the prosecutor general was kept in the dark about the interrogation until 10 hours after it had begun.

"Since taking office, I have repeatedly said the law does not favor the rich and powerful. I have said there are no exceptions, preferential treatment or sanctuary before the law, but these principles were not observed in the questioning of the president's wife. I deeply apologize to the citizens," Lee told reporters on his way to work.

His remarks came after the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, responsible for the investigation, questioned Kim in person over the weekend at a government building instead of the prosecutor's office. This decision, apparently made for safety and security reasons, contradicted the top prosecutor's earlier promise not to offer preferential treatment to the first lady, including avoiding secretive summons or non-standard questioning locations.

Lee confirmed that he was not notified in advance about the questioning of the first lady. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office explained that the questioning on the stock manipulation allegations took place first, a procedure which, according to a 2020 order from the justice minister at the time, was not required to be reported to the top prosecutor. The questioning related to the handbag scandal began after 9 p.m., and Lee was informed only as the session was nearing its end.

"I wasn't informed about the process of [Kim's] investigation. I take responsibility for not properly leading the prosecutors' office. I will spare no efforts to uphold the constitutional principle that ‘all are equal before the law' during the remaining legal procedures involving the first lady," Lee said, hinting that he will not step down over the issue. The prosecutor general's two-year term expires in mid-September.

Feud among prosecutors

The questioning highlighted an ongoing feud between the prosecutor general and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. The conflict began in May when Lee Chang-soo, a close confidant of President Yoon Suk Yeol, was appointed as the new head of the Seoul office, leading to the replacement of senior prosecutors involved in Kim's case. This decision came a week after the prosecutor general had ordered the establishment of a dedicated investigation team to focus on allegations involving the first lady.

The prosecutor general indirectly revealed his discomfort with the reshuffle by remaining silent for about seven seconds with an expression of agony when reporters asked if he was at odds with the presidential office over the shakeup of senior prosecutors.

Lee Chang-soo, head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, is seen through the window of his vehicle as he is driven to work, Monday. Yonhap

Regarding the prosecutor general's remarks that principles were not observed in Kim's questioning, an official at the presidential office said it was a matter of "the prosecution's internal affairs."

A presidential office official countered claims that the first lady's closed-door questioning was preferential treatment by saying, "It was unprecedented for a sitting president's first lady to be summoned for face-to-face questioning. The accusation of preferential treatment is therefore baseless."

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) accused the government and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) of abusing their power to grant the first lady special treatment in the legal system.

"Yoon and the ruling PPP undermined the rule of law, ignored the procedures, and made controversial moves to help the first lady escape her accountability," DPK floor leader Rep. Park Chan-dae said during a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly.

"The prosecutors' attitude of voluntarily bowing down before power shows that they have no intention of investigating Kim fairly. The DPK will expedite the special counsel probe bill so the Assembly can investigate her allegations properly without granting special treatment or sanctuary."