Yoon Seok-yeol Visits Gwangju District and High Prosecutors' Offices to Encourage Prosecutors a Day Before Chiefs Meeting

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol will visit Gwangju a day before the nationwide prosecutors' chiefs meeting, proposed by Justice Minister Chu Mi-ae, scheduled for the 21st.

According to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the 17th, Prosecutor General Yoon plans to meet frontline prosecutors working at the jurisdictional prosecution offices, including Park Seong-jin, Chief Prosecutor of Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office, and Moon Chan-seok, Chief Prosecutor of Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office, at 2 p.m. on the 20th. Although there was speculation that the Gwangju visit might be changed due to the nationwide prosecutors' chiefs meeting convened by Minister Chu on the following day, the schedule will proceed as planned. Prosecutor General Yoon will not attend the nationwide prosecutors' chiefs meeting.

This visit is scheduled a day before the meeting on the 21st, which Minister Chu will preside over to hear opinions from frontline prosecutors' chiefs regarding the 'separation of investigation and prosecution within the prosecution.' Attention is focused on Prosecutor General Yoon's remarks. Previously, during his visit to Busan, Yoon expressed the view that "investigation and prosecution are one entity," indicating that the separation of prosecutors' investigation and prosecution functions is not possible. It is anticipated what stance he will take in Gwangju.

After meeting with executives in Gwangju, Prosecutor General Yoon plans to communicate with frontline prosecutors through a private staff meeting. Moon Chan-seok, Chief Prosecutor of Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office, who will attend Yoon's encouragement visit, is also a subject of the prosecutors' chiefs meeting and has recently attracted attention for his outspoken remarks.

On the 10th, at the nationwide district prosecutors' chiefs and election-related deputy chiefs meeting, he publicly criticized Lee Seong-yoon, Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, stating, "Refusing the Prosecutor General's orders is unacceptable." He raised the issue that although Prosecutor General Yoon ordered the prosecution of Choi Kang-wook, Secretary for Public Discipline at the Blue House, Chief Prosecutor Lee did not approve it.