SEOUL: The Democratic Party (DP), the main opposition party in South Korea, announced on Friday that it will initiate impeachment proceedings against Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung. This decision comes in response to the prosecutor’s office’s decision not to indict First Lady Kim Keon Hee for her alleged role in a stock manipulation scandal.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the move by the DP follows the announcement from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office that they would not press charges against the first lady. The investigation, which began four and a half years ago, centered around allegations that Kim Keon Hee’s stock trading accounts were used to manipulate share prices of Deutsch Motors Inc., a BMW dealership, during the period between 2009 and 2012. The prosecutors concluded that Kim was not aware her accounts were being used for such purposes.
Jo Seoung-lae, a senior spokesperson for the DP, detailed the decision after a Supreme Council meeting of the party. “The leadership discussed t
he issue of impeaching the prosecutor general and concluded to go ahead with it,” said Jo. “The steps and timing of the impeachment will be discussed with the floor leadership.”
This development marks a significant escalation in the political tensions surrounding the allegations against the first lady and reflects growing frustrations within the opposition regarding the handling of high-profile cases by the prosecutor’s office.