Seoul: The Constitutional Court dismissed the impeachment of a senior prosecutor accused of conspiring in 2020 with a then opposition lawmaker to file complaints against ruling camp figures. The decision was announced on Thursday, marking a significant development in the high-profile case involving Son Jun-sung, the deputy chief prosecutor of the Daegu High Prosecutors Office.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Son was impeached by the National Assembly in December 2023. He was accused of collaborating with People Power Party Rep. Kim Woong to file complaints against three pro-government figures. These actions were allegedly in response to negative news reports concerning the wife of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, just before the general elections in April 2020.

Son faced indictment on charges similar to those in the impeachment proceedings. However, the Supreme Court upheld a lower court's decision to acquit him in April this year. The Constitutional Court initially began its preparatory hearings in March last year but suspended further proceedings to await the outcome of Son's criminal trial.

The court acknowledged that Son violated the Constitution and laws requiring prosecutors to maintain political neutrality. Despite this violation, the court concluded that it did not justify his removal from office. The ruling underscores the complexity of the case and highlights the ongoing discourse about the role of political neutrality in the judicial system.