[On the Scene] The Minister's Mouth Changed to a '3D' Position, the President's Mouth (Part 1)

Seokjin Choi, Head of the Legal Affairs Team

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] Until a few years ago, the position of ‘Ministry of Justice Spokesperson,’ known as the mouthpiece of the Minister of Justice, or the ‘Supreme Prosecutors’ Office Spokesperson,’ known as the mouthpiece of the Prosecutor General, was one of the desired posts for prosecutors.

At the Ministry of Justice or the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, high-ranking officials at the level of chief prosecutors who were doing well within the prosecution gathered, so naturally, it was an opportunity to get noticed by them. Since these positions were originally appointed by the Minister or the Prosecutor General based on their preference, as long as no major mistakes were made during the term, a transfer to a desired position in the next personnel reshuffle was somewhat guaranteed.

Prosecutors who worked in investigative departments and were busy avoiding reporters had the hardship of receiving dozens, sometimes hundreds, of calls a day from over 200 legal reporters when working in the spokesperson’s office as spokespersons or deputy spokespersons. However, through about a year of experience, they could develop political sensibility and had a rare opportunity to become familiar with many reporters at once.

Although building friendships with reporters does not greatly help in a prosecutor’s career, it is true that reporters who went through difficult times together during the spokesperson period tend to pay a bit more attention when reporting on the results of major investigations led by the prosecutor later or when rumors about promotions to chief prosecutor circulate before personnel changes. In the past, before personnel reshuffles, high-ranking prosecutors sometimes asked reporters they were close to about key candidates such as the 3rd Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, who also handled investigation publicity, or conversely, reporters occasionally recommended specific prosecutors.

However, recently, the spokesperson roles at the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, and various prosecution offices, held by professional public relations officers, have become so demanding that they feel like 3D jobs?difficult, dirty, and dangerous?with no guarantee of the next position.

This change began during the tenure of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk.

Cho, who was at the center of controversy with various allegations even before his confirmation hearing, was known to be particularly sensitive to media reports related to him.

In a situation where new allegations surfaced almost daily, it was not easy for the spokesperson to verify each fact, but it is reported that Cho often criticized them for ‘responding too slowly’ or ‘not responding adequately.’

It was such a difficult time that at the time, spokesperson Park reportedly started smoking again just one day after taking office, despite having quit for years, which became a hot topic among reporters.

It is equally difficult to serve under the current Minister Choo Mi-ae.

Especially since Minister Choo, a former politician, continues to post writings and photos on her Facebook after taking office, using it as a communication channel with the public, which puts the spokesperson in a very awkward position.

Since these posts are likely not coordinated with the spokesperson’s office in advance, when reporters flood the spokesperson with calls after seeing Minister Choo’s Facebook posts, the spokesperson must either guess the minister’s intent and respond or say ‘I don’t know,’ having to choose between the two.

When Minister Choo advocated the need for ‘financial and real estate separation’ regarding real estate policy on Facebook last July and was criticized as ‘planning to run for Seoul mayor,’ or when she posted sensitive writings related to the investigation supervision of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, and even recently when she posted a photo of a photographer waiting in front of her house along with a message about working from home instead of going to the office, it was entirely the spokesperson’s responsibility to handle the flood of calls from reporters and manage the situation.