Park Sung-joong "Moon Jae-in took a stance on BTS and Jjapaguri... Choo-Yoon conflict requires a position statement"

President Moon Jae-in is presiding over the senior secretaries and presidential aides meeting at the Blue House on the 30th of last month. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seul-gi] On the 30th, Park Sung-joong, a member of the People Power Party, criticized Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae's suspension of Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, saying, "President Moon Jae-in should not hide behind the scenes but take responsibility and bear the burden."

In an interview with YTN Radio's 'Lee Dong-hyung's News Face-off' on the same day, Rep. Park said, "The president is the highest authority in state affairs and the appointing authority, so he must clearly express his intentions."

He added, "This issue has dragged on for quite some time, and the public's fatigue is very high, so the president needs to some extent unify and soothe public opinion," and criticized, "Looking at it so far, the president steps forward well on popular issues but does not on burdensome ones."

He continued, "For example, he has not said a word about the West Sea government official killing incident, the Seoul mayor and Busan mayor by-elections, or the Wolseong Unit 1 issue, but last time, he appeared well at the Parasite-related Chapaguri party and with BTS," he claimed.

He said, "We are not defending Prosecutor General Yoon. He did not come to our party either. He is a prosecutor standing on a knife's edge," and criticized, "If he investigates only himself, it's a fuss and not a purge investigation but a corrupt prosecution, but if he investigates others, it's not? Such judgment is problematic."

On the other hand, on the same day, Lee Jae-jung, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, rebutted, "Whether it's the Wolseong Unit 1 case or the Optimus case, if the president speaks, won't it be called interference in the investigation again?" and said, "It's a predetermined conclusion; that's exactly how the opposition attacks President Moon."

Rep. Lee appeared on the same broadcast and raised his voice, saying, "No matter what he says now, if he speaks, they say 'stay quiet,' and if he doesn't, they say he is not speaking. The president is not shirking responsibility by not mentioning or not answering the opposition's questions but is quietly performing his daily role with greater consideration and responsibility. He is communicating with the people."