Jeong Cheong-rae "Yoon, No Need for President? De Facto Declaration of Political Start"

Jeong Cheong-rae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is questioning Park Baek-beom, Vice Minister of Education, at the Education Committee Petition Review Subcommittee held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 4th of last month. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seul-gi] Jeong Cheong-rae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol on the 1st, saying, "It means not recognizing the president's approval authority."

On the same day, Jeong said in a post on his Facebook, "If the disciplinary action is decided through a legal and normal procedure and there is presidential approval, but Prosecutor General Yoon has decided not to accept it, first, it means not recognizing the president's approval authority over disciplinary action," he said.

He added, "Second, it ultimately denies the president's authority over personnel and disciplinary matters, which corresponds to insubordination," and "Third, it is an intention to confront the president, who holds personnel authority, to maximize his own political reflexive benefits."

He continued, "Fourth, I interpret this as a declaration of political commencement. Ultimately, it reads as a will to fight, stating that he will only step down by the president's 'dismissal of the Prosecutor General,'" and claimed, "If there is a 'direct dismissal' by the president, isn't it a plan to wage a lawsuit for abuse of authority against the president who did not guarantee the Prosecutor General's term?"

He said, "Knowing that even if civil and criminal lawsuits are filed against the incumbent president, prosecution does not occur, but public opinion warfare can be maximized, perhaps this is the card he will choose," and concluded, "Is this just my own speculation?"

Meanwhile, on the same day, the Ministry of Justice Inspection Committee judged that the suspension order and disciplinary request issued by Minister Choo to Prosecutor General Yoon were inappropriate.

The Inspection Committee stated, "Due to serious procedural flaws such as failure to notify the reasons for the disciplinary request against Prosecutor General Yoon and failure to provide an opportunity to explain, the disciplinary request, suspension from duty, and investigation referral are inappropriate."