Kim Geun-sik: "Choo and Moon, Who Were 'Counterattacked,' Will Walk the Path of Downfall"

Professor Kim Geun-sik of Gyeongnam University, chairman of the People Power Party's Songpa-byeong district in Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Professor Kim Geunsik of Gyeongnam National University, who is the chairman of the People Power Party's Songpa-byeong district in Seoul, criticized on the 2nd, "The trend has already tilted. With the last counterattack by the disciplinary committee members, Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae and President Moon Jae-in will walk the path of downfall."

Professor Kim said in a post on his Facebook that day, "There is a 'counterattack' technique in Ssireum (Korean wrestling). It is a technique that exploits the opponent's weakness when they attack and reverses the situation to knock down the opponent."

He sarcastically remarked, "Choo (Minister Choo) and Moon (President Moon) joined forces to attempt an ultra-strong attack by suspending Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol from duty and initiating disciplinary action, but rather, the 'Choo-Moon attack' is being counterattacked."

He continued, "The start of the counterattack was the conscience declaration by Prosecutor Lee Jeong-hwa of the Ministry of Justice Inspection Office. Prosecutor Lee, who attempted a face-to-face inspection of Prosecutor General Yoon, revealed that the judge's document was not illegal and that her own document was deleted under the instruction of Inspector Park Eun-jung."

He also said, "It was a beautiful choice by Acting Prosecutor General Cho Nam-gwan," adding, "Even Deputy Chief Cho, who was actively involved in prosecutorial reform, appealed to step back, saying that Minister Choo's excessive 'prosecutor killing' actually makes prosecutorial reform more difficult. It was a decisive defection from the 'Choo line.'"

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae (left) is arriving at the Government Complex Seoul on the morning of the 1st to attend the Cabinet meeting. Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, who had been unable to go to work due to the decision to suspend Minister Choo from duty, is going to work at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu in the afternoon.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Professor Kim said, "The Ministry of Justice Inspection Committee unanimously agreed that suspension from duty, disciplinary requests, and investigation referrals were all unjust, giving strength to the counterattack," and emphasized, "The decisive counterattack was when Chief Judge Cho Mi-yeon, a member of the Human Rights Law Research Association, emphasized the independence and political neutrality of the prosecution and ordered Prosecutor General Yoon to return to duty. It was a decisive blow choosing law and conscience over faction."

He added, "The climax of the counterattack was the resignation submission by Deputy Minister of Justice Ko Ki-young," saying, "Deputy Minister Ko, who was supposed to chair the disciplinary committee, could no longer ignore the public sentiment and resigned like a true prosecutor."

He continued, "Nevertheless, Choo and Moon are trying a final attack by appointing a new deputy minister and holding the disciplinary committee to forcibly dismiss," and stressed, "However, the final decisive counterattack remains. The last gatekeepers whom Choo and Moon trusted, the disciplinary committee members, will rather rebel against them. No, they must rebel."

He said, "Will the disciplinary committee members play the role of Choo and Moon's puppets in the dismissal of Prosecutor General Yoon, which has already been rejected by the public? Will two prosecutors and three outsiders bear the historical disgrace of the 2020 Gyeongja Five Traitors? Even Shim Jae-cheol and Shin Seong-sik, who were criticized as a small group, should not commit sins against history."

Finally, he said, "Just as Prosecutor Lee Jeong-hwa, Acting Prosecutor General Cho Nam-gwan, Judge Cho Mi-yeon, and Deputy Minister Ko Ki-young, whom Choo and Moon trusted, all chose conscience and justice, the disciplinary committee will ultimately make a choice that is proud before history, not a lackey of power."

Meanwhile, former Deputy Minister of Justice Ko Ki-young submitted his resignation on the 30th of last month ahead of the convening of the disciplinary committee for Prosecutor General Yoon. Accordingly, the Ministry of Justice postponed the disciplinary committee meeting, which was scheduled for the 2nd to discuss the disciplinary measures and severity against Prosecutor General Yoon, to the 4th.

The Ministry of Justice has appointed lawyer Lee Yong-gu (56, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 23) as the new Deputy Minister of Justice to succeed former Deputy Minister Ko. The new deputy minister is a former judge who served in the courts for over 20 years and was appointed as the first non-prosecutor to the position of Legal Affairs Officer at the Ministry of Justice in August 2017, serving for 2 years and 8 months.