[Asia Economy Reporters Lee Ji-eun and Lim Chun-han] The United Future Party has pressured the Blue House, demanding that the president make a direct decision regarding the conflict between Justice Minister Chu Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol. They also filed a complaint against Minister Chu for abuse of authority. The People's Party fiercely criticized the case in which Minister Chu's draft response to Prosecutor General Yoon was leaked to ruling party lawmakers, calling it "the shadow of Choi Soon-sil."
Kim Jong-in, Emergency Committee Chairman of the United Future Party, stated in his opening remarks at the party's emergency committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the morning of the 9th, "Before debating who is right or wrong between Minister Chu and Prosecutor General Yoon, the president must quickly make a decision on this issue," adding, "Looking at recent newspapers, all we hear are things that could greatly irritate the public."
Just before the emergency committee meeting that day, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office announced that the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office would conduct an independent investigation into the so-called 'Channel A scandal,' also known as the 'media-prosecution collusion' case. It appears that Prosecutor General Yoon accepted Minister Chu's directive for the investigation. In response, Emergency Committee member Jeong Won-seok criticized, "This is an oppression of Prosecutor General Yoon, who was a thorn in the side before the introduction of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (HICO)," and added, "Their arrogant hypocrisy and delusion, mistaking justice as their private domain, will surely be brought to judgment."
Floor Leader Joo added, "To drive out Prosecutor General Yoon, it seems that Minister Chu alone was not enough; the secret advisers who consulted and coached her are people close to President Moon Jae-in. Therefore, I cannot help but think that President Moon, while staying behind the scenes, is using these people to oust Prosecutor General Yoon."
The United Future Party is taking a tough stance on this incident in various ways. Earlier, Kim Do-eup, the party's Judiciary Committee secretary, held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 8th, announcing plans to hold a Judiciary Committee meeting to hear Prosecutor General Yoon's testimony directly in the National Assembly. United Future Party lawmakers Jeon Ju-hye, Yoo Sang-beom, Kim Seung-soo, and Lee Joo-hwan submitted a complaint to the General Civil Complaints Office of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu that morning, accusing Minister Chu of abuse of authority.
Kwon Eun-hee, floor leader of the People's Party, also criticized Minister Chu as a "broken record" during the party's supreme council meeting that day, stating, "The core relationship between the Minister of Justice and the Prosecutor General is to maintain mutual independence and guarantee the neutrality of the prosecution," and added, "Failing to guarantee this results in a political prosecution." She pointed out, "Prosecutor General Yoon proposed, through the prosecutors' chiefs meeting, to Minister Chu that an independent investigation headquarters be established at the high prosecutor's office to conduct the investigation, and Minister Chu issued a statement on this, but this draft was leaked through lawmaker Choi Kang-wook. The Ministry of Justice must identify those responsible for the leak and thoroughly clarify the circumstances to remove the shadow of Choi Soon-sil lingering in the Ministry."
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