Choo Mi-ae Continues Political Moves Instead of Apologizing for False Answers... Visits Late Prosecutor Kim Hong-young's Office, Cho Kuk Responds

Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae visited the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office on the 1st, where the late Prosecutor Kim Hong-young, who made an extreme choice due to verbal abuse and assault by a superior, worked.
Photo by Minister Choo Mi-ae's Facebook

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] Chu Mi-ae, Minister of Justice, who remained silent during the prosecution investigation into herself and her son, has been continuing her political activities by posting lengthy writings on her Facebook every day during the Chuseok holiday after receiving a non-prosecution disposition from the prosecution.

After the prosecution investigation results revealed that her multiple responses in the National Assembly were false, putting her on the defensive, she appears to be seeking a turnaround by playing the 'prosecution reform' card. However, it is expected to be difficult for her to avoid a relentless assault from the opposition party during the upcoming National Assembly audit, which will begin immediately after the holiday, regarding the fairness of this investigation and her false answers in the Assembly.

On the morning of the 1st, around 10 a.m., Minister Chu posted a lengthy message on her Facebook along with a photo, saying, "On the first day of the Chuseok holiday, I visited the office of the late Prosecutor Kim Hong-young, who last worked at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office."

In the post, Minister Chu once again expressed a strong determination for prosecution reform by criticizing the past behavior of the prosecution.

Prosecution clears Minister Chu, her son, and aide of all charges... Evidence of Minister Chu's involvement revealed

On the 29th of last month, the Criminal Division 1 of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office issued a non-prosecution disposition of 'no charges' for Minister Chu, her son Seo, and a former aide on charges including desertion from military service, aiding desertion, and obstruction of official duties by deception.

However, through the prosecution's investigation result announcement materials, it was revealed that Minister Chu directly sent the contact information of the supporting officer to the aide at the time, and that the aide called the supporting officer and then reported back to Minister Chu via KakaoTalk messages. This exposed that her repeated statements in the National Assembly hearings and government questioning sessions, such as "I was not involved" and "I never instructed the aide to make a call," were false, leading to continued attacks from the opposition party.

As the opposition party continued to demand accountability for her repeated false answers in the Assembly, Minister Chu once again played the 'prosecution reform' card, aiming for a turnaround in the situation.

Day after non-prosecution disposition, demands 'apology' on Facebook... warns of follow-up measures

On the previous day, she wrote on her Facebook, "The case regarding the sick leave of the Minister of Justice's son, which began with my term, has been processed by the prosecution with a non-prosecution (no charges) disposition for all involved," adding, "I sincerely apologize once again for causing concern to the public regarding my son's military service issue."

Although she apologized to the public along with the fact that she and her son received a non-prosecution disposition, the apology was directed at causing concern to the public over her son's issue, not for any involvement in her son's leave issue or for giving false answers in the National Assembly.

On the contrary, Minister Chu criticized the opposition party that raised the suspicions and the media that reported on them, saying, "This case, above all, is an incident that divided public opinion and exhausted national power (public authority) due to unreasonable accusations and complaints with a strong political attack nature."

She stated, "Those irresponsible forces who used the one-sided claims of informants as mere tools for political strife without any objective verification or fact-checking must be held strictly accountable," and warned, "If there is no proper apology, follow-up measures will be taken."

She also expressed deep regret over the media's reporting style, saying, "I cannot help but send deep regrets about the media's reporting patterns," adding, "Many media outlets caused great disappointment and hurt to the public by publishing false claims as they were instead of verifying facts and truth, and even further reporting falsehoods as facts."

She then declared, "Now it is a new beginning," and "The prosecution reform that I have been dedicated to is no longer a slogan but an action. I will establish a prosecution for the people through reform of laws, systems, and personnel."

She revealed her political ambition, saying, "I will promptly complete prosecution reform and the establishment of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials to fulfill the aspirations of the candlelight citizens and contribute to the success of the Moon Jae-in administration until the very end."

She appears to be countering the opposition party's assault, which questions the fairness of the prosecution investigation into herself and her son and demands moral responsibility for her false answers in the National Assembly, by playing the prosecution reform card.

Visits late Prosecutor Kim Hong-young's office to emphasize 'prosecution reform' again... Former Minister Cho Kuk responds on Facebook

This behavior continued on the 1st, the second day after the investigation results were announced.

Minister Chu posted on Facebook along with a photo of her visit to the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, stating, "The anger, frustration, pressure, helplessness, and the bursting yearning for a just world that is gradually fading away, which a young rookie prosecutor had to endure in a huge organizational culture, are suffocatingly conveyed to me living today."

She added, "I know well that your empty seat cannot simply be filled by another prosecutor," and "If there is no great transformation in the members' repentance, awareness, and attitude toward the distorted organizational culture caused by the prosecution's politicization, the second and third tragedies like Kim Hong-young will continue."

Minister Chu emphasized the necessity and justification of prosecution reform, stating that the prosecution has been colluding with the government through the traditional 'principle of prosecutor unity.'

She pointed out, "The top-down principle of prosecutor unity, formed with the Prosecutor General at the apex, has dominated the prosecution's organizational culture for over 70 years, but it has rather damaged the health of the prosecution organization and only lost the public's trust," adding, "The government could abuse the prosecution as a tool of governance as long as it controlled the Prosecutor General, and the prosecution enjoyed omnipotent power in return, maintaining servile authority by switching from one administration to another during dark times."

She further stated, "Some political prosecutors even colluded with the government or media power to fabricate, conceal, and exaggerate major cases without hesitation to mislead the public," and said, "This is truly shameful and regrettable to the public. I will change this so that individual prosecutors can fulfill their mission as legal experts to uphold justice and protect citizens' human rights, free from unjust orders and oppression from superiors."

Minister Chu emphasized, "Prosecution reform will be completed only when it extends from laws and systems to culture and personnel," and "Until then, we will remember the sacrifice of the late Prosecutor Kim Hong-young so that it will not be in vain."

Finally, she said, "About a year ago, former Minister Cho Kuk promised the late Prosecutor Kim Hong-young's father a small nameplate, and I plan to prepare it soon and humbly keep that promise with his father in Busan."

Shortly after Minister Chu posted her message, former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk responded by sharing her Facebook post on his own Facebook.

Former Minister Cho wrote, "I am very grateful to Minister Chu Mi-ae for carrying out the promise I could not keep. Prosecutor Kim Hong-young and his bereaved family will be very pleased. I also feel a debt in my heart has been eased," adding, "I hope this will be an opportunity for the prosecution's organizational culture to change."

He continued, "As a citizen, I support the legal and prosecution reforms that Minister Chu is promoting and hope they will be successfully completed soon," and added, "I believe that all obstacles blocking reform will be blown away by the 'Chupung' (autumn wind)."

The bereaved family of Prosecutor Kim, who took his own life in May 2016 after suffering verbal abuse and assault from his superior, former Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Dae-hyun of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, applied for the convening of the Prosecution Investigation Deliberation Committee regarding the case against former Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim. On the 24th of last month, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Citizens' Committee held a sub-deliberation meeting and decided to refer the matter to the Investigation Deliberation Committee.