Kim Nam-guk Quotes Late Former President Roh Moo-hyun's Autobiography 'Unmyeongida'
Kim Nam-guk, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is questioning at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office audit held by the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee in Yeouido, Seoul, on October 22. [Photo by Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] On the 3rd, Kim Nam-guk, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, quoted the autobiography of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun, saying, "There is no next time for prosecutorial reform."
In a post on his Facebook on the same day, Rep. Kim said, "In the past, political prosecutors abused prosecutorial power through arbitrary and selective investigations based on their own standards and sloppy investigations that proceeded with prosecution regardless of acquittals."
He pointed out, "Such wrongful investigations by the prosecution were sometimes motivated by money, such as preferential treatment for former officials, and sometimes aimed at currying favor with the current power. It is absurd for prosecutors who did not maintain political neutrality while pursuing their own interests to call for political independence."
He continued, "The prosecution has neither the will nor the intention to change," adding, "We must transform the prosecution, which once stood beside powerful authorities, into a prosecution for the people. If they have no intention to change, they must be changed."
Rep. Kim said, "If not now, there will be no more opportunities for prosecutorial reform in the Republic of Korea," and warned, "If we do not advance, we will retreat. The fortress built by the prosecution will become higher and stronger."
He also emphasized, "It is difficult, but we must persist and become stronger. We will never stop until the day the prosecution becomes trustworthy."
He then posted an excerpt from former President Roh's autobiography, "It is Destiny," regarding prosecutorial reform. The book states, "While failing to properly push forward prosecutorial reform, the prosecution relentlessly attacked Blue House aides, the president's relatives, supporters, and close associates throughout the term. I accepted this quietly, thinking it was the price for pursuing the prosecution's political independence. However, political independence and political neutrality are different issues. If the prosecution itself is politically biased, even if political independence is guaranteed, it does not maintain political neutrality. When the regime changed, the prosecution abandoned not only political neutrality but also political independence. I deeply regretted not being able to push through the adjustment of investigative authority between the police and prosecution and the establishment of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials."
A portrait photo of former President Roh Moo-hyun posted by Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae on her SNS on the morning of the 3rd. Photo by Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae Facebook capture.
Earlier, Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae also criticized the prosecution by posting a portrait of the late former President Roh on her social media.
In a post on her Facebook the previous day, Minister Choo opened by saying, "The prosecution has failed to distinguish between the independence of prosecutorial power and its abuse, and while shouting for the protection of prosecutorial independence, it has become a symbol of prosecutorial abuse."
She emphasized, "I will restore the prosecution of the Republic of Korea to one that protects human rights. I will advance unwaveringly and move forward without fear."
Finally, she shared a photo of the late President Roh's portrait, saying, "This is my earnest prayer and heart offered before the portrait of the late President Roh Moo-hyun at Naksansa Temple in the East Sea."
Meanwhile, the disciplinary committee for Prosecutor General Yoon, originally scheduled for the 4th, was postponed to the 10th to ensure procedural rights and the right to defense.
The disciplinary committee for Prosecutor General Yoon was initially scheduled for the 2nd. However, Yoon's side requested to review and copy the disciplinary records to prepare for the committee and also requested disclosure of information regarding the disciplinary request approval documents and the list of disciplinary committee members but did not receive a response from the Ministry of Justice, leading to a request for postponement.
The Ministry of Justice accepted the request and postponed the committee to the 4th, but Yoon's side claimed procedural illegality and requested another postponement.
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