Acting Prosecutor General Cho Nam-kwan decided to convene an independent panel to review the legitimacy of an ongoing investigation into Lee Sung-yoon, the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.

Lee is suspected of interfering in and stopping an investigation into the Justice Ministry's alleged violation in issuing a travel ban against former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-ui in 2019.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office(SPO) said the status of the suspect, public interest and the urgency of the matter were taken into consideration.

Cho, however, rejected Lee's other request for a separate panel of outside legal experts, citing redundancy.

The SPO is soon expected to form a 15-member panel of experts from various sectors, including academia, the press and civic groups. Although the panel's recommendation is not legally binding, it could provide Lee with a chance to have his side of the story heard.