Kim Do-eup "Choo-Yoon Confrontation Audit" vs Choo Mi-ae "Do You Like Confrontation Because You Have Been a Prosecutor for a Long Time?"

Choo "It is not appropriate to disclose specific conversation details"

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae is responding to questions at the comprehensive audit of the Ministry of Justice, Supreme Court, Board of Audit and Inspection, Constitutional Court, and Legislation Office held by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 26th. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] Amid ongoing conflicts between Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, opposition parties continue their offensive against Minister Choo. Kim Do-eup, a member of the opposition People Power Party and the party’s secretary, called for a 'confrontational audit,' to which Minister Choo responded by saying, "As a public official, there is decorum," countering the claim.

On the 26th, during the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee’s comprehensive audit, Rep. Kim cited Prosecutor General Yoon’s remarks from the 22nd and asked, "Did you ever instruct to send the personnel proposal?" Minister Choo replied, "I intended to hear opinions."

When Rep. Kim asked, "Prosecutor General Yoon said, 'If the Ministry of Justice’s Prosecutor’s Office sends a basic proposal, we will provide our opinions.' Did you say, 'I am the recommender, and the appointing authority is the President, so the personnel proposal should be with the Blue House. Please contact the Blue House, receive it, provide your opinions, and send it back'?" Minister Choo avoided a direct answer, stating, "Since there is another party involved, it is difficult for me to speak arbitrarily."

In subsequent questions, Minister Choo said, "It is not appropriate to disclose specific conversations."

Rep. Kim expressed frustration, saying, "It’s frustrating," and added, "My honest feeling is that I hope the Minister and Prosecutor General Yoon sit together for a confrontational audit."

Minister Choo retorted, "You have been a prosecutor for a long time, so you seem to like confrontational questioning," and added, "As a public official, there is decorum."

Kim Do-eup, a member of the People Power Party, is protesting to Seo Wook, the Minister of National Defense, regarding a request for materials during the National Assembly inspection of the Ministry of National Defense and military courts held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 23rd. Photo by Yonhap News

She continued, "It is inappropriate to casually disclose conversations between a superior and a subordinate here, especially when the other party is involved."

When Rep. Kim insisted, "If Prosecutor General Yoon spoke publicly, the Minister has an obligation to verify whether such statements were made," Minister Choo countered, "Why would I have such an obligation? I have heard opinions on personnel matters according to the law."

To Rep. Kim’s question, "Can we take Prosecutor General Yoon’s words as fact?" Minister Choo firmly replied, "You should resolve that with Prosecutor General Yoon. This is all I can say."

Earlier, on the 22nd, Prosecutor General Yoon stated during the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee audit of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office that there was no substantial consultation process with the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office regarding the personnel proposal.

In response to the question, "Did you submit opinions on the personnel proposal to the Ministry of Justice?" Yoon answered, "There has never been a case where personnel decisions were made after preparing the entire proposal in advance."

Yoon added, "I was told to draft the personnel proposal, so I said, 'The Prosecutor’s Office should at least provide a basic proposal for me to work on.' Then I was told, 'Since the appointing authority is the President, the personnel proposal is with the Blue House. Please provide your opinions and send it back.' The appointing authority for prosecutor personnel is the President, but usually, when the Ministry of Justice’s Prosecutor’s Office drafts a proposal, I have consulted with senior officials at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office," he explained.