Cheong Wa Dae on the 2nd addressed President Lee Jae-myung's remarks directing prosecutors to "apologize for mistakes and withdraw them," saying they "expressed his consistent view on state affairs that the greater the authority of an institution, the greater the responsibility that must follow." It also explained, "He said the prosecution must be on guard not to fall into the trap of infallibility." The comments appeared aimed at countering interpretations in politics that the remarks amounted to a "demand to withdraw indictments."
Earlier, at a Cabinet meeting that morning, President Lee, after hearing a national performance report from acting Prosecutor General Gu Ja-hyun of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, said, "(The prosecution) is a public-interest, quasi-judicial body that has duties to the public and duties of objectivity. It holds enormous authority, and it must bear responsibility commensurate with that," adding, "If it makes a mistake, it should apologize and withdraw it." Lee also said, "Anyone can make mistakes," and "You must not fall into the trap of infallibility."
President Lee did not specify what, in particular, he meant by "prosecutorial mistakes" that day. But the opposition quickly argued that he was calling for the "withdrawal of indictments" in several cases in which he himself has been charged.
The People Power Party, in a commentary issued under chief spokesperson Choi Bo-yoon's name, said, "At a time when the Democratic Party has been pushing a legislative blitz that shakes the judicial system itself, including the special counsel bill to withdraw indictments, the president's remarks in effect pressured the prosecution to 'withdraw indictments,'" adding, "It is no different from a declaration to the public that 'now I will get my own cases' indictments withdrawn.'" Independent candidate Han Dong-hoon, running for the Busan Buk-gap National Assembly seat, also said, "As foreshadowed, this is laying the groundwork to ram through the withdrawal of indictments in his own cases after the election," adding, "I will enter the National Assembly and stop it."
The Democratic Party has pursued creating a "special counsel for fabricated indictment" law that would grant a special counsel the authority to "maintain indictments." After receiving from the prosecution cases already on trial, the special counsel could exercise the authority to maintain or withdraw indictments. The bill specifies a total of 12 cases as subjects of investigation, including seven cases that were targets of a parliamentary inquiry, such as the Daejang-dong development corruption allegations and the SSANGBANGWOOL remittances to North Korea case.