The Special Prosecutor's Office is set to investigate former Presidential Office personnel secretary Choi Ji-hyun on the 5th. The Special Prosecutor plans to understand the background regarding former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop's appointment as ambassador to Australia through the investigation of former Secretary Choi.
On the 4th, Special Prosecutor Jeong Min-young noted during a morning briefing that they plan to summon former Secretary Choi for testimony at 1 p.m. on the 5th regarding Lee's appointment as ambassador to Australia.
Special Prosecutor Jeong stated that former Secretary Choi "served as the deputy spokesperson of the Presidential Office before taking on the role of personnel secretary around January 2024," and added that they plan to comprehensively investigate the background of the ambassadorial appointment and whether the Presidential Office issued any directives to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Special Prosecutor is investigating the 'overseas escape allegations' involving former Minister Lee. These allegations suggest that former President Yoon Suk-yeol appointed Lee, who was under investigation for alleged pressure on the investigation of Chae Sang-byeong, as ambassador to Australia in March of last year and lifted the travel ban against him to facilitate his escape.
Previously, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials investigated allegations of pressure in the investigation of the Chae Sang-byeong death case. On Dec. 7, 2023, the office requested a travel ban against former Minister Lee, and the Ministry of Justice imposed the ban the following day. The office later extended the travel ban three times. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on March 4 of the following year that former Minister Lee had been appointed as ambassador to Australia, and four days later, on the 8th, the Ministry of Justice lifted the travel ban against Lee, who was under investigation.