The Legal Battle Between Choo Mi-ae and Yoon Seok-yeol Heats Up

Prosecutor General's Office Launches Inspection into Alleged Illegal Conduct in Internal Affairs Investigation

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The preliminary legal battle between the Minister of Justice and the Prosecutor General, the 'application for suspension of duty exclusion,' was temporarily settled with a decisive victory for Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol. However, the court reserved judgment on the six allegations of misconduct, including 'surveillance of the judiciary,' which Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae cited as grounds for disciplinary action. In the upcoming resumed legal battle, this issue is expected to be addressed in earnest, intensifying the dispute. Minister Chu is likely to add more charges, while Prosecutor General Yoon is expected to emphasize the illegality involved. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office's decision on the 2nd to launch an investigation by the Inspection Department, which has been criticized for conducting illegal inspections and investigations related to Prosecutor General Yoon, is also seen as a measure considering these circumstances.

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae is attending the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 1st. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Chu Pushes Ahead with Disciplinary Committee... Strengthening and Adding Charges

Despite the court's decision the previous day, Minister Chu is reportedly proceeding to convene the Ministry of Justice's Prosecutor Disciplinary Committee to pass a dismissal proposal against Prosecutor General Yoon. At Yoon's request, the disciplinary committee meeting was postponed by two days from the original schedule and is set for the 4th, but the prevailing view is that once the 'prosecutorial reform' sword is drawn, the end will be 'Yoon Seok-yeol's dismissal.' The delay is outwardly to guarantee Yoon's right to defense, but many see it as a time to reorganize following the resignation announcement of Vice Minister Ko Ki-young, an ex officio member.

Minister Chu is expected to use the secured reorganization time to reinforce the legitimacy of the six charges against Prosecutor General Yoon and to add further allegations of misconduct to push forward the disciplinary action. This is also a preparation for the forthcoming administrative lawsuit. Prosecutor General Yoon is highly likely to file an application for suspension of execution and a cancellation lawsuit against the dismissal decision. Since the court judged a similar application the previous day as causing 'irreparable harm,' the same conclusion is likely for the suspension application, but the main cancellation lawsuit is a different matter. In the main lawsuit, the legality of the disciplinary action and the facts regarding the grounds will be contested. If Minister Chu proves the legitimacy of Yoon's misconduct allegations, the court may recognize the legality.

Yoon Seok-yeol, Prosecutor General [Photo by Yonhap News]

Yoon Reports on Illegal Inspection Investigation and Nuclear Power Plant Probe

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office, where Prosecutor General Yoon has returned, announced that "the complaint case related to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Department was assigned to the Human Rights Policy Office of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office the previous day." This is to examine whether there were any human rights violations or procedural violations during the Inspection Department's search and seizure of the Investigation Information Policy Office on charges of abuse of authority against Prosecutor General Yoon concerning the controversial 'judiciary surveillance.' This is analyzed as a procedure to prove that the inspection against Prosecutor General Yoon was illegal. The Human Rights Policy Office of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office lacks compulsory investigative authority and will conduct only a fact-finding investigation for now, but if criminal charges emerge, the investigation may be transferred to another prosecution office.

Prosecutor General Yoon also reportedly received a briefing on the investigation into the early shutdown allegations of the Wolseong Unit 1 nuclear power plant on the same day. Since this investigation is directly linked to the current administration's nuclear phase-out policy, it is interpreted as a warning message to the government. The case involves an investigation into allegations that the government downplayed the economic feasibility of Wolseong Unit 1 and deleted related data. The Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office reportedly submitted a supplementary report on arrest warrants for key suspects to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division on the 24th of last month. However, Prosecutor General Yoon reportedly did not receive this report on the same afternoon when Minister Chu announced the suspension of his duties. The investigation stalled during Yoon's absence. There were even allegations that the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division unilaterally 'held' the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office's arrest warrant request. However, with Yoon's return, expectations are growing that the investigation, including arrest warrant requests, will regain momentum.

In legal circles, there are also talks that Prosecutor General Yoon will gather additional investigative materials against the current administration. A lawyer with a prosecutorial background said, "At this point, the only investigation that can pressure the government is the early shutdown of the Wolseong nuclear power plant, but he will try to increase the cards that can be used considering future situations."