Seoul: Acting Prosecutor General Noh Man-seok has offered to resign following growing discontent within the prosecution ranks after the decision not to appeal a ruling in a prominent development scandal case.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Supreme Prosecutors Office confirmed Noh's intention to step down, with plans to announce his position during a farewell ceremony. The presidential office indicated that it will approve Noh's resignation once it is officially submitted by Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho.

The justice ministry and prosecution have faced criticism after prosecutors elected not to appeal a corruption case related to a real estate development project in Seongnam, dating back to President Lee Jae Myung's tenure as the city's mayor. This decision has led to significant backlash from prosecutors, with suspicions arising that the justice ministry may have unduly influenced the prosecution to abstain from appealing in Lee's favor.

Noh explained on Sunday that the prosecution considered the justice ministry's opinion, as is customary in major cases, and that the decision resulted from discussions with the chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office. Noh's resignation offer comes just four months after he assumed the role, following former Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung's resignation in July, shortly after Lee assumed the presidency.

The controversy intensified when the chief prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office also resigned on Saturday.