Seoul prosecution chief resigns over NIS probe

Seoul’s chief prosecutor offered to resign Monday in the wake of internal feuds over a probe into National Intelligence Service agents’ alleged election interference.

Cho Young-kon issued a statement expressing his intention to quit as chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office hours after an inspection team recommended the punishment of two of his subordinates, who were at odds with him, for violation of investigation protocol.

The inspection committee at the Supreme Public Prosecutors’ Office asked the Ministry of Justice to suspend Yoon Seok-youl, former chief of the special team investigating the NIS case, and to cut the salary of Yoon’s deputy Park Hyung-cheol.

Yoon was removed from the team last month for ignoring the duty to report to his supervisor in modifying the arraignment notice on the case and in arresting NIS agents.

Yoon later told the parliamentary that the investigation had been influenced by politically motivated superiors from the outset and that Cho impeded the investigation.

Cho denied the claim and requested the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office to inspect the controversy.

In a statement on Monday, Cho reiterated that he never tried to influenced the investigation and made no inappropriate instructions to the team.

“But I would leave the post taking responsibility as the supervisor of the investigation and to uphold the discipline of the organization,” he said.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)