Prosecutor General Yoon "I Support You," District Chief Prosecutor Park Soon-cheol "Withdraws Resignation"... Prosecutors Continue Support and Encouragement

Prosecutor General Yoon's 'Refreshing Remarks' at National Assembly Hearing Spark Flood of Supportive Comments from Prosecutors
Former Prosecution Reform Committee Member Kim Jong-min: "Victim of Choo Mi-ae's Sword Dance Like a Shaman Riding a Stilts"

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol (left) and Park Soon-cheol, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, who tendered his resignation on the 22nd.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] "Even if you are struck with an axe or targeted by sniper fire, please fulfill your duty as a steadfast support that blocks the external wind. The original support is a plant."

"A scarecrow standing quietly and lonely in a golden field is cooler than a dog wagging its tail and flattering its owner."

The prosecution inside is shaken after watching the Prosecutor General's 'determined remarks' at the National Assembly inspection.

Despite the Ministry of Justice Minister's successive measures to 'isolate the Prosecutor General,' the dissatisfaction that was not outwardly expressed is rapidly consolidating after the Prosecutor General's attendance at the inspection. His remarks have acted as a kind of 'declaration of war.'

On the 23rd, on the prosecution's internal network e-Pros, prosecutors who watched the previous day's National Assembly inspection kept posting positive comments such as "It was really refreshing" and "Please continue to be our support."

Comments like "Prosecutors nationwide are cheering with the same heart" and "I was worried that my weakness was shrinking before political power and losing even determination and confidence" stand out.

Among the supportive comments, some compared Prosecutor General Yoon's image to 'Prosecutor Ha Do-ya' from the drama The Great or 'Mr. Keating' from the movie Dead Poets Society.

Considering the timing as the day after the inspection, the possibility of criticism against Prosecutor General Yoon is relatively low, but according to prosecution officials, the overall internal atmosphere is leaning toward supporting him.

There are also many posts about Park Soon-cheol, head of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, who expressed his resignation the day before, pointing out the unfairness of Minister Chu's investigative command. Most of these posts comfort him or urge him not to resign.

By 9 a.m. that day, over 110 comments were posted on Park's resignation post on the e-Pros prosecutors' bulletin board. Also, on the 21st, a day earlier, a post titled "Supporting the Prosecutor General" by Chief Prosecutor Jeong Hee-do of the Cheongju District Prosecutors' Office received over 150 comments.

Attorney A, a former high-ranking prosecutor, said about Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol's statement at the inspection that "the Prosecutor General is not a subordinate of the Minister," "Considering that Minister Chu Mi-ae used expressions like 'disobeying orders,' it seems she really thinks he is her subordinate," and added, "At least if the Prosecutor General's independent authority in investigation and prosecution is not guaranteed, the political neutrality of the prosecution cannot be maintained. In that sense, Prosecutor General Yoon's remarks at the inspection yesterday are quite reasonable."

Regarding Park's resignation, attorney Kim Jong-min, a former member of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Prosecutorial Reform Committee during the Moon Jae-in administration, expressed on Facebook the day before, "It is very regrettable that one of the best prosecutors was sacrificed to the Minister of Justice's sword dance."

Some predict that Park's resignation could be the starting point of collective backlash within the prosecution against Minister Chu.

However, as the public's voice demanding prosecutorial reform grows louder and prosecutors have refrained from any collective action such as convening 'ordinary prosecutors' meetings,' many believe the possibility of immediate concrete action is low.

Nevertheless, if the investigation results of the 'media collusion' case or the recent 'Lime case' conclude that Minister Chu's investigative command was excessive, the possibility of visible backlash within the prosecution against Minister Chu cannot be ruled out.