Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday ordered a "strict and thorough" investigation into the actions of prosecutors who walked out en masse during the trial of former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young. The incident occurred after the prosecutors filed a motion to recuse the judge panel in a trial associated with drinking party allegations against the former vice governor.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the prosecutors exited the courtroom, claiming the court had handled the proceedings unfairly. In response, President Lee directed a prompt internal investigation into actions that disrupted court order, such as the mass departure from the courtroom, as announced by presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung in a press briefing.

Lee Hwa-young faces charges of perjury at the National Assembly, linked to allegations of being treated to alcohol and raw salmon during questioning by prosecutors over an illegal remittance to North Korea in 2019. This case has also implicated President Lee, who was Gyeonggi governor at the time of the unauthorized $8 million transfer to North Korea.

The president's order for an investigation led to heated exchanges between rival parties during a plenary meeting of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee. The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) accused Lee and the former vice governor of being accomplices and argued that the probe order undermines the rule of law. PPP Rep. Na Kyung-won accused Lee of attempting to cover up his own offenses, while PPP Rep. Joo Jin-woo criticized Lee's directive as inappropriate, emphasizing that the president should not interfere in judicial processes.

In contrast, lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party defended President Lee's decision. They characterized the prosecutors' walkout as arrogant and accused the PPP of defaming and slandering the sitting president.