Rival political parties clashed over the prosecution's decision not to appeal a ruling in the Daejang-dong corruption trial, centered on a development project in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, when President Lee Jae Myung was mayor.

During a parliamentary budget review on Wednesday, main opposition People Power Party(PPP) Rep. Bae June-young complained that prosecutors had effectively decided not to pursue the seizure of hundreds of billions of won in illegal profits reaped by those convicted of breach of trust.

Bae said pursuing the forfeiture through civil courts would be more difficult because lawsuits place the burden of proof on the plaintiff. Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho pledged to do all that he could to ensure a successful suit.

PPP Rep. Suh Bum-soo said that by instructing prosecutors to be prudent in reviewing whether to appeal, the minister had effectively ordered the agency to drop the case.

Suh asked Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials(CIO) Chief Prosecutor Oh Dong-woon whether his agency had a duty to investigate, and Oh replied that he would proceed in accordance with the law and principle if a related complaint were to be filed.

Ruling Democratic Party(DP) Rep. Chung Chin-ook accused prosecutors who protested the decision of being close to former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Chung urged the minister to remove such "political prosecutors" and said their collective actions justified the abolition of the prosecutors' office.

DP Rep. Kim Seung-won claimed that the prosecution has already preserved the illegal profits subject to forfeiture and that the state can redeem the funds at any time in accordance with criminal or civil rulings.