Kim Wook-jun, First Deputy Chief of the Central District Prosecutors' Office, Resigns... "Please Stop Threatening Prosecutorial Neutrality"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, the largest in the country, is suffering severe aftereffects following the 'Yoon Seok-yeol Prosecutor General's suspension incident,' with Chief Prosecutor Kim Wook-jun submitting his resignation.

According to the legal community on the 2nd, Kim submitted his resignation to Lee Sung-yoon, head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, the day before, and the office is currently processing the related procedures.

Kim stated his resignation, saying, "Please immediately stop measures that threaten the political neutrality and existence value of the prosecution." However, it is known that Deputy Chief Prosecutor Choi Sung-pil, who was also rumored to resign alongside Kim, decided to withdraw his resignation after much consideration.

Also, when Lee, the head of the office, took a day off that morning and did not come to work, there were rumors that he was contemplating resignation, but this was confirmed to be untrue.

Kim is considered a close aide to Lee. Analysts suggest that internal dissatisfaction accumulated as Lee pushed forward with investigations into allegations involving Prosecutor General Yoon's family, and the collective backlash from senior and ordinary prosecutors over Yoon's suspension incident indirectly influenced this situation.

Kim currently leads the Criminal Division 6, which recently indicted Prosecutor General Yoon's mother-in-law on charges including violation of medical law.

While senior prosecutors, deputy chiefs, and ordinary prosecutors at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office issued a joint statement regarding the suspension incident of Prosecutor General Yoon, Lee and the deputy chiefs did not participate in the statement.

During this process, it is also known that ordinary prosecutors at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office discussed including critical opinions of Lee and other leadership in the statement.

Some speculate that the two deputy chiefs submitted their resignations because they were nominated as disciplinary committee members for the disciplinary hearing scheduled for Prosecutor General Yoon on the 4th.

However, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office denied this, stating, "The first and second deputy chiefs have not been nominated as disciplinary committee members at all."