Park Beom-gye "Yoon Seok-yeol was demoted 7 years ago while investigating the National Intelligence Service... a righteous prosecutor"
On the 22nd, he also had a debate with Chief Yoon over 'selective justice'
Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol is arguing with Democratic Party lawmaker Park Beom-gye during the Supreme Prosecutors' Office audit held at the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 22nd. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seul-gi] On the 22nd, during the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee's audit of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Park Beom-gye, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea who had a heated exchange with Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, once again criticized Yoon, saying "the person has changed."
On the 26th, in an interview with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' Rep. Park said, "What I am pointing out is that 'the person has changed. He has transformed.'"
Rep. Park said, "Seven years ago, Yoon was literally the head of the National Intelligence Service's comment investigation team, then was demoted and sent to the Daegu High Prosecutors' Office. I thought he was a righteous prosecutor who was about to resign at that time," adding, "However, after that, the administration changed, and with the Moon Jae-in government coming into power, he was suddenly appointed as the head of the Central District Prosecutors' Office, and then later appointed as Prosecutor General."
He continued, "There were various incidents. That is why I said 'the environment changed, and the person changed,' and I asked, 'You weren't like this before, were you?' I don't know if that comment is criticizing the righteous prosecutor I praised, or if it is implying that I received some favor or something, but I have never received any favors from Prosecutor General Yoon nor have I ever asked for any," he asserted.
In response, Kim Ki-hyun, a member of the People Power Party, said, "Prosecutor General Yoon was fundamentally someone our party opposed in his appointment. On the contrary, the ruling party defended him, saying 'there is no problem.' He was the main figure who carried out the so-called 'purge of the accused' under the name of clearing out deep-rooted evils. The person who did that is now the Prosecutor General. If you say he has changed, it means he has shown more loyalty to the ruling party, but now problems with the living power have been revealed," he countered.
Rep. Kim pointed out, "But if you say that investigating the living power is excluded, and now say 'he is not righteous, it is selective justice,' that is truly a case of double standards."
He added, "In fact, from our (People Power Party) standpoint, this person (Prosecutor General Yoon) harshly investigated us."
Earlier, Rep. Park asked Prosecutor General Yoon during the audit, "After the Samsung Biologics accounting fraud suspicion case was assigned, did you meet with the owner of JoongAng Ilbo?" and then raised his voice, saying, "I think Yoon Seok-yeol's justice is selective justice. Unfortunately, I have come to doubt Yoon Seok-yeol's sense of justice and compassion."
In response, Prosecutor General Yoon said, "Isn't that selective suspicion as well?" and countered Rep. Park's claim by asking, "In the past, weren't you not like that toward me?"
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