Yun Ho-jung: "Yoon Seok-yeol is pitiful... Faust who sold his soul to the devil"

Yoon Ho-jung, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea./Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Ju-hee] Yoon Ho-jung, chairman of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee and a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, strongly criticized Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, who said, "The Prosecutor General is not a subordinate of the Minister of Justice," stating that "the authoritarian attitude of 'the prosecution is supreme and eternal while politics is finite' has not changed at all."

In an interview with MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus,' Rep. Yoon said, "It has shown all the behaviors of political prosecution that have been calling for prosecution reform and have taken control of the prosecution."

Referring to Prosecutor General Yoon's attitude during the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee's inspection of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the 22nd, Rep. Yoon pointed out, "In a way, I even felt sorry for Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol. We could see him intoxicated by the power he holds as Prosecutor General or solely focused on protecting his close aides or family members."

He continued, "The Minister of Justice, as stipulated in the Prosecutors' Office Act, is the 'chief person responsible for directing and supervising prosecutors,' which is explicitly stated in Article 8 of the Prosecutors' Office Act," adding, "There have been claims from the prosecution side that this is 'unfair,' but never before has anyone said it is 'illegal' like Prosecutor General Yoon did. This denies the Prosecutors' Office Act and the constitutional order itself."

He further criticized, "It now seems that he intends to directly engage in prosecution politics as the head of political prosecution, and on the other hand, there are many suspicious aspects, as if he sold his soul to the devil like Faust."

Regarding speculation that Prosecutor General Yoon might enter politics after retirement, Rep. Yoon said, "He did not seem like someone who wants to go into politics. If he intended to do politics, he would not wield and flaunt his power by even defining laws and the constitution like this."

He added, "Right now, Prosecutor General Yoon seems to be voicing the soul of an unfortunate person enslaved by fate," speculating, "(That fate) could be the organization he belongs to or his family."