Choo Mi-ae Requests Disciplinary Action and Job Suspension Order for Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol (Update)

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] Justice Minister Chu Mi-ae has suspended Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol from his duties. The suspension of an incumbent Prosecutor General by the Minister of Justice is unprecedented, and it signifies that Minister Chu, who has been pressuring Prosecutor General Yoon, has ultimately played her final card.

On the evening of the 24th, Minister Chu held a briefing at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office press room and stated, "I cannot help but report to the public the disciplinary request and suspension of duties against the Prosecutor General."

First, she disclosed that she had directly conducted an investigation into various allegations of misconduct against the Prosecutor General. According to Minister Chu, the investigation confirmed multiple serious and grave allegations of misconduct by the Prosecutor General.

Minister Chu mentioned that Prosecutor General Yoon violated the Prosecutors' Ethical Code through an inappropriate meeting with the owner of JoongAng Ilbo. According to the Ministry of Justice's investigation, around November 2018, while serving as the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Yoon met Hong Seok-hyun, the de facto owner of JTBC and a party related to a case, at a pub located in Jongno-gu, Seoul, engaging in inappropriate exchanges that could undermine impartiality.

She also pointed out responsibility for illegal surveillance of judges presiding over major cases. Around February 2020, the Investigation Information Policy Office of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office prepared a report containing information such as "judgments on major political cases," "membership in the Uri Law Research Association," and "family relations" related to judges of major case trial courts involved in the Ulsan case and former Minister Cho Kuk's case. After reporting this, Prosecutor General Yoon instructed that the report be delivered to the Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division, according to Minister Chu. This indicates a violation of official duties by collecting and utilizing judges' personal information and tendencies that the Investigation Information Policy Office was not authorized to gather.

She also conveyed the investigation results that Prosecutor General Yoon obstructed investigations into the Channel A case and former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook's case. The investigation found that Yoon unjustifiably ordered the head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Inspection Department to halt the investigation to obstruct the prompt investigation of Prosecutor General Han Dong-hoon. Despite delegating investigative authority to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's department heads, Yoon forcibly convened a professional investigative advisory panel, abusing his command and supervisory authority unfairly despite opposition from the investigation team and department heads.

During this process, Minister Chu criticized the leaking of information related to the Channel A case investigation. Despite receiving multiple verbal reports from the head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Inspection Department about investigating Prosecutor General Han Dong-hoon, Yoon opposed it and informed an unidentified person that "the head of the Inspection Department unilaterally sent a text message about investigating Han Dong-hoon without verbal reports," which led to media coverage early the next morning.

Minister Chu also criticized Prosecutor General Yoon's recent attitude during the National Assembly audit. She stated, "The Prosecutor General must maintain public trust in political neutrality more than any other position, and the Constitution and laws clearly state that he must not engage in any behavior that could raise suspicion in this regard." She added, "However, the Prosecutor General has continuously been mentioned as a conservative presidential candidate and has been suspected of political activities aimed at the presidency. Ultimately, during the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's National Assembly audit, he made remarks that could be interpreted as declaring political participation after retirement."

Furthermore, she revealed that Prosecutor General Yoon obstructed the investigation by refusing to respond to a face-to-face inquiry by the Ministry of Justice's Inspection Office. She concluded, "As the Minister of Justice, the highest supervisor of prosecutorial affairs, I have determined that it is no longer acceptable for the Prosecutor General to perform his duties as Prosecutor General."