Kim Nam-guk: "Yoon Seok-yeol's attitude on illegal surveillance reminds me of Park Geun-hye"

"The prosecution, which should bow its head, instead denies any problem"

Kim Nam-guk, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] On the 27th, Kim Namguk, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, strongly criticized Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol for filing a lawsuit to cancel the suspension order issued by Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae, asking, "Is he a delusional criminal resembling former President Park Geun-hye?"

In a post on his Facebook on the same day, Rep. Kim claimed, "Yoon's attitude of 'what's the problem?' regarding the allegations of judicial surveillance reminds me of former President Park, whose perception of illegality was different from common sense."

He continued, "It is shocking that the prosecution, as an investigative agency, has no sense of problem despite engaging in acts that could be considered illegal surveillance," adding, "It even gives me chills to see the prosecution, who should sincerely reflect and bow before the people, instead rebelling by saying there is no problem."

He further pointed out, "If Prosecutor General Yoon is making such absurd claims to escape despite knowing this, it is shameless. If he is doing this unknowingly, he lacks the basic qualifications as a prosecutor."

Rep. Kim emphasized, "The Prosecutor General is not above the law, and prosecutors, as public officials of the Republic of Korea, must perform their duties faithfully under stricter moral standards, laws, and principles than anyone else," adding, "I hope Yoon and the prosecution reflect on their actions with a more humble and modest attitude."

On the 24th, Choo Mi-ae, Minister of Justice, held an emergency press conference at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office briefing room regarding the inspection results of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, announcing the plan to file disciplinary charges and suspend him from duty. / Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, on the 24th, Minister Choo decided to suspend Prosecutor General Yoon from his duties and requested disciplinary action. This is an unprecedented event in constitutional history.

At an emergency briefing at 6 p.m. at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office press room in Seocho-dong, Seoul, Minister Choo stated, "The Ministry of Justice has conducted direct inspections into various allegations of misconduct against the Prosecutor General, and as a result, confirmed multiple serious and grave allegations of misconduct," adding, "As the Minister of Justice, the highest supervisor of prosecutorial affairs, I have judged that it is no longer tolerable for the Prosecutor General to perform his duties as the head of the prosecution."

However, Prosecutor General Yoon hinted at legal countermeasures against Minister Choo's actions on the same day. In a statement distributed to the media in the afternoon, Yoon emphasized, "I will legally respond to the unlawful and unjust measures to the end," and "I have fulfilled my duties as Prosecutor General without any shame to protect the political neutrality of the prosecution."

Subsequently, on the 25th, Yoon filed a request for a suspension of execution to halt the effect of Minister Choo's suspension order. On the 26th, through his attorney Lee Wankyu of Dongin Law Firm, he filed a lawsuit at the Seoul Administrative Court seeking cancellation of the suspension order.

In addition, Prosecutor General Yoon refuted the so-called 'illegal surveillance allegations' concerning the judicial panel's judge profile records, stating that they were part of prosecutorial work.

On the 27th afternoon, Yoon's side issued a statement explaining the nature of the document, saying, "The document is a work-related record and was not created for continuous monitoring, surveillance, or to impose disadvantages on the subjects," adding, "It was a one-time document and was not managed continuously."

They emphasized, "It is necessary to understand the court's trial proceeding styles for the smooth conduct of trials," and "It is a work-related document included in the prosecution's work manual."