Gong Ji-young: "I am ashamed of the Prosecutor General's Office executives' disgraceful behavior at the funeral"

Novelist Gong Ji-young posted on her Facebook on the 20th / Photo by Gong Ji-young

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] Novelist Gong Ji-young criticized an incident in which a senior official at the Prosecutor General’s Office, at the level of deputy chief prosecutor, protested to a newly appointed department head at the Prosecutor General’s Office whom he met at a funeral related to the former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk’s case, calling it "shameful."

On the 20th, Gong quoted a statement from the Ministry of Justice posted by a netizen on her Facebook, saying, "Funeral house disgrace or truth. Sexual harassment. Standing applause when the Prosecutor General entered. Loud shouting," expressing her criticism.

According to the legal community, Yang Seok-jo (47, Judicial Research and Training Institute Class 29), senior researcher of the Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Department at the Prosecutor General’s Office (deputy chief prosecutor), reportedly protested to Shim Jae-cheol (51, Class 27), head of the Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Department (chief prosecutor), whom he met at the funeral of a prosecutor’s father-in-law on the 18th, saying things like "Explain why Cho Kuk was cleared," and "Are you even a prosecutor?"

In response, the Ministry of Justice released a statement titled "Ministry of Justice Notice Regarding Funeral House Disgrace by Prosecutor General’s Office Officials."

The Ministry of Justice said, "Key officials of the Prosecutor General’s Office, late at night on the 18th, at a solemn funeral where respect should have been observed, drank alcohol and shouted loudly in front of ordinary people, displaying inappropriate behavior that even commoners would not do, causing public concern. As the highest supervisor of the prosecution, the Minister of Justice deeply regrets this."

It added, "It is deplorable that various disgraceful incidents repeatedly shown by prosecutors at funerals have not yet been improved, and moreover, several senior prosecutors caused such an incident late at night. We will strive to change the prosecution’s flawed organizational culture and ensure public officials maintain proper discipline so that such incidents never happen again."