At a parliamentary audit Thursday, Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl said the prosecution was independent under former President Lee Myung-bak.

Asked to pick one president that best favored an independent prosecution, Yoon chose Lee among the three recent presidents including former President Park Geun-hye, Lee’s successor who was removed from office over corruption charges, and incumbent President Moon Jae-in, who replaced Park.

“When Lee was president, I served as director at the prosecution’s special investigation unit,” he said. “There wasn’t much interference when we arrested his older brother and closest aides.” In 2012, the prosecution indicted Lee’s brother and former vice trade minister on corruption charges.

Yoon didn’t refer to the prosecution’s independence under former President Park. At the time, he was demoted when he was investigating complaints that the spy agency had tried to influence public opinion ahead of the 2012 presidential election Park had won.

He dismissed claims that the prosecution allowed favorable terms to Chung Kyung-sim, the wife of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, who was earlier summoned on charges of forging an admission document for her daughter’s acceptance into a medical school.

She was let through a backdoor to the prosecution for questioning, against the much-expected routine that high-profile figures address reporters before passing through the front door.

“However people may see it from outside, the prosecution gave a lot of thought to how we should go through the summons,” Yoon said. “The principle here is that we close every investigation as early as possible and the same goes for Cho.”

By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)