Hwang Hee-seok: "Prosecutors' 'Funeral House Defiance' Not Just a Simple Incident... Feels Like It Was Planned"

Hwang Hee-seok, former Director of the Human Rights Bureau at the Ministry of Justice and Head of the Prosecution Reform Promotion Support Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Shinwon Yoon] Hwang Hee-seok, former Director of the Human Rights Bureau at the Ministry of Justice and head of the Prosecution Reform Promotion Support Group, claimed on the 20th that the so-called 'funeral house insubordination' is "not a simple happening."

On the same day, Hwang appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and said, "There may be differing opinions on whether to indict or investigate, but I believe it was inappropriate for this to escalate into an issue of 'insubordination or not' while drinking at a funeral house."

On the 18th, at the funeral parlor for the father-in-law of a senior prosecutor at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, set up at Samsung Seoul Hospital in Irwon-dong, Seoul, Senior Researcher Yang Seok-jo loudly protested to his direct superior, Sim Jae-cheol, head of the Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division, who argued that former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk should not be prosecuted, saying, "Why is Cho not indicted?" and "Are you a prosecutor?"

Hwang said, "When Lee Sung-yoon was appointed head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, there were incidents such as a subordinate reading Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl's inauguration speech to embarrass him, Prosecutor Kim Woong resigning while calling the adjustment of investigative authority a 'fraud,' and Rep. Joo Kwang-deok of the Liberty Korea Party exposing a text message Lee sent to a senior Supreme Prosecutors' Office official during his time as head of the prosecution bureau, which backfired. I think these movements might be interconnected as a kind of exchange."

He added, using the expression "a feeling of a feeling," "It is not a simple happening. I speculate that there is some sharing of thoughts among them."

Regarding the Liberty Korea Party's claim that "Head Sim Jae-cheol's order to review the non-prosecution report was an overreach" and their demand for his resignation, Hwang said, "It's difficult to answer because I don't know exactly how it was said, but I have never thought that Lee or Head Sim were pro-government. From working together at the Ministry of Justice, I felt that while they strongly express their opinions, they are reasonable thinkers. If you ask these people to resign, it raises questions about who would come in their place."

Hwang, who recently resigned and left the Ministry of Justice, responded to questions about his future plans by saying, "Suddenly running for office is out of the question," and added, "I know various stories are circulating, but I have not seriously considered running in the general election yet."