[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol appeared in an official setting for the first time in a year and revealed the feelings he had been holding back. Starting with the prosecution personnel appointments, he systematically refuted the issues that had caused conflicts with Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae, such as the exercise of investigative command rights and investigations related to his family. Yoon's position within the prosecution has become even more solidified.
On the 22nd, at the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee's National Audit of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Yoon candidly expressed his stance on Minister Choo's criticism of the inadequate investigation into the Lime scandal. Yoon explained, "After the Lime default incident occurred and manpower was insufficient, I ordered a thorough investigation in February and subsequently strengthened the investigative personnel."
Regarding his remark calling Minister Choo's accusation 'slander,' he responded firmly, saying, "It is the most polite word I could use." This was a rebuttal to Minister Choo's criticism of Yoon as the "Supreme Prosecutors' Office that deceived the public." Yoon countered again, saying, "I cannot understand on what grounds there was a statement implying that the Prosecutor General was also involved in the inadequate investigation."
The statement that made Yoon the star of the audit began with an opposition lawmaker's question, "What do you think about Minister Choo's recent exercise of investigative command?" Yoon said, "Legally speaking, the Prosecutor General is not a subordinate of the Minister of Justice." He added, "If the Prosecutor General were a subordinate of the Minister, there would be no need to create such a position. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office is entirely a staff organization to assist the Prosecutor General, so there would be no need to operate such a vast facility and organization funded by taxpayers' money."
That afternoon, when Minister Choo posted on Facebook that "the Prosecutor General is a public official under the command and supervision of the Minister of Justice," Yoon countered again, saying, "The Prosecutor General does not attend the Minister of Justice's inauguration or retirement ceremonies but visits separately," meaning "there is no hierarchical relationship." He further said, "If there were a hierarchical relationship, would the law allow the subordinate's opinion to be heard when recommending personnel appointments?"
However, Yoon did not only go on the offensive. He calmed the atmosphere by saying, "I do not take the Minister lightly. I respect the Minister." He added, "All prosecutors respect the Minister of Justice and consider them the highest supervisor, but due to the independence of investigation and prosecution, it is inevitably set up this way."
The problem began with Minister Choo's order for an internal inspection during the audit. The Ministry of Justice stated, "Regarding reports of misconduct by prosecutors and prosecution investigators, the Prosecutor General and the leadership of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office claim they were not informed of these facts until recent media reports and were completely unaware," and added, "However, since the whistleblower's allegations of misconduct align with specific circumstances, we will investigate whether serious misconduct was concealed or covered up by the investigating prosecutors or reporting channels."
Yoon actively defended himself. He mentioned, "Currently, investigations into the Lime case are ongoing at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office, so the order for an internal inspection may appear to interfere with investigation or prosecution." He said he learned of the Ministry of Justice's announcement at the audit site and explained, "According to the Ministry of Justice's organizational decree, which is a presidential decree, inspections of frontline prosecutors' offices cannot be conducted for the purpose of interfering with investigation or prosecution," adding, "Usually, inspections are conducted after investigations are completed and problems arise."
A heated exchange among ruling party lawmakers was also notable. In response to Democratic Party lawmaker Park Beom-gye's accusation that Yoon was protecting Prosecutor General Han Dong-hoon, Yoon retorted, "I am a powerless figurehead Prosecutor General who cannot protect anyone," and asked, "If my command rights are excluded, then who is Park lawmaker protecting?" He also expressed his true feelings, saying, "Everyone outside calls me a figurehead Prosecutor General. How can I be protecting anyone?"
A scene of shouting also unfolded. When Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min presented a video titled "Cases of abuse of prosecutorial power during Yoon's tenure" and Yoon responded, "That is just your claim, and I cannot agree at all," Kim criticized, "Is it appropriate for the head of the prosecution not to agree with public suspicions?"
However, Yoon replied, "Questions should be ones I can answer," and when Kim demanded an apology, Yoon stood firm, saying, "I will not apologize. If I were going to apologize, I would not have said such things." Additionally, Yoon revealed his determination not to step down despite ongoing resignation demands from the ruling party, stating, "President Moon Jae-in conveyed a message to fulfill my duties after the general election." He said, "I believe fulfilling my duties during my term is a responsibility not only to the appointing authority but also to the people, and I will carry out my duties without wavering."
Meanwhile, Minister Choo is expected to launch a final full-scale attack at the Ministry of Justice's comprehensive audit by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee on the 26th. Although the Supreme Court and Constitutional Court will also be audited, it is effectively Minister Choo's time. She is expected to prepare counterattack cards against Prosecutor General Yoon over the weekend in addition to preparing for the audit.
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