Presidential aides criticize “baseless” prosecution reform conspiracy

Mar 12, 2026, 08:32 am

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President Lee Jae-myung listens to a report from Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol on the government’s response to developments in the Middle East during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office on March 10. /Yonhap News

The presidential office on March 11 expressed discomfort over allegations that a senior government official attempted to negotiate the cancellation of an indictment against President Lee Jae-myung in exchange for prosecution reform.

The controversy emerged after the YouTube channel “Kim Ou-joon’s News Factory” claimed a high-ranking government official recently asked several senior prosecutors to drop the indictment against Lee, suggesting the move was tied to negotiations over prosecutorial reform.

The presidential office said it would refrain from issuing an official response in order to avoid amplifying unnecessary controversy.

A presidential official told reporters that the Justice Ministry would release its own position on the matter and handle the response.

However, some aides reacted strongly to the allegation, calling it an unfounded conspiracy.

“Attacking the president with baseless conspiracy theories crosses the line,” one official said, adding that even responding to such claims or verifying the facts would be unnecessary.

Another presidential official criticized some ruling party figures for echoing the allegation.

“Even if it comes from YouTube, which is not a public office, it is problematic that some members of the ruling camp are blindly following such claims,” the official said.

A ruling party source also dismissed the idea of a deal linking prosecution reform to the cancellation of the indictment.

“Early in his presidency last year, when the ruling party tried to push legislation related to the president’s own legal status and judicial matters, he stopped it,” the source said.

“If there had been any intention to ask for the indictment to be canceled, those bills could simply have been passed at the time.”

The source added that Lee has little interest in the issue of canceling the indictment itself.

“The president is focused on institutional reform, not on this matter,” the source said. “Claims that he ordered such a request are absurd.”

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