Geun-sik Kim, Chairman of the Seoul Songpa-byeong Party Committee of the People Power Party. / Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Kim Geunsik, the head of the People Power Party’s Seoul Songpa-byeong district committee, criticized on the 29th that Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae’s order for four inspections of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol is "Minister Choo’s excessive inspections are political surveillance and retaliation against Prosecutor General Yoon."
On the same day, Kim shared a related article on his Facebook and said, "At this point, it is not 'inspection' but 'surveillance.' Since it is a background check, it is 'surveillance (査察),' and since it is retaliation, it is 'surveillance (私察)."
Kim pointed out, "Originally, inspection is an internal self-purification mechanism of the prosecution that investigates internal misconduct and corruption and disciplines those responsible if there is wrongdoing," adding, "But now Minister Choo is abusing inspections recklessly."
He continued, "Last week, on the day the Prosecutor General attended the National Assembly audit, Minister Choo ordered inspections related to prosecution lobbying and opposition party investigations without consulting the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office. Now, she says she will also inspect the meeting with the owner of the Chosun Ilbo and the handling of the Optimus case during his time as head of the Central District Prosecutors’ Office. She intends to inspect all baseless rumors and claims to pressure the Prosecutor General, who is a thorn in her side."
He added, "Inspecting the Prosecutor General’s private meetings and retroactively inspecting cases that were concluded by the chief prosecutor’s decision during his time as head of the Central District Prosecutors’ Office is, in fact, 'surveillance' and 'retaliation,'" and asked, "Inspection must not be distorted into a tool for purging political opponents. Would it be normal inspection if Prosecutor General Yoon investigates the private lives of the minister’s loyal prosecutors and digs into rumors about case handling and corruption?"
Earlier, Minister Choo ordered four inspections of Prosecutor General Yoon on the 27th. The matters ordered for inspection include allegations that Yoon concealed prosecutorial misconduct related to the 'Lime Fund fraud case,' allegations that he tried to cover up investigations of opposition politicians involved in the Lime case, allegations that he conducted a 'lenient investigation' by dismissing the investigation request related to the Optimus Asset Management case from the Korea Communications Agency, and suspicions about meetings with media company owners.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
