[Press Conference by Moon] "Yoon is the Prosecutor General under Moon Jae-in's Administration... Likely Did Not Consider Politics"

"Yoon does not think he is acting as Prosecutor General with politics in mind"
"I believe there will be no more conflicts that worry the public"
"Prosecutor General's term and disciplinary actions are not conflicting... they have a complementary relationship"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Kang Nahum and Jeon Jinyoung] President Moon Jae-in said about Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, "There are various evaluations of Prosecutor General Yoon, but to sum up my evaluation in one sentence, (Prosecutor General Yoon) is the Prosecutor General of the Moon Jae-in administration."

At a New Year's press conference on the 18th, President Moon said, "I do not think Prosecutor General Yoon is acting as Prosecutor General with politics in mind or with the intention of engaging in politics."

Regarding the conflicts between the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution that have occurred so far, President Moon said, "The Ministry of Justice and the prosecution are in a cooperative relationship regarding the era-defining task of prosecutorial reform, and I sincerely apologize to the public for the conflicts that have arisen in the process."

He continued, "However, prosecutorial reform involves changing various long-standing relationships between the prosecution and the police, as well as the culture and practices of prosecution investigations, so I think there could have been differences in perspectives or opinions between the Minister of Justice and the Prosecutor General."

He added, "Now that they understand each other's positions better, I expect that such conflicts that worry the public will no longer occur."

Regarding criticism that he was lukewarm in resolving the conflict between Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon, President Moon said, "Now that the Prosecutor General's term system is firmly guaranteed and political neutrality is ensured, and the Ministry of Justice is separated from the prosecution, the Ministry encourages the prosecution to respond properly. Even if conflicts arise in such a situation, I do not think it is something unusual in a democratic country."

However, President Moon said, "I do not think it was good that the then Minister of Justice and Prosecutor General appeared to be engaged in a personal emotional conflict," adding, "I believe there are definitely points to reflect on regarding such matters."

He went on, "Some say that the Prosecutor General's term system and disciplinary actions against the Prosecutor General conflict with each other, but I think that is completely mistaken," and explained, "Because the Prosecutor General's term is guaranteed, the system ensures that responsibility can only be held through dismissal or disciplinary measures. They complement each other."

He added, "The judiciary's issuance of a suspension order on the Ministry of Justice Minister's disciplinary action against the Prosecutor General shows that the separation of powers is properly functioning and that the principles of democracy in the Republic of Korea are operating very healthily," and said, "Conflicts to check prosecutorial power may occasionally arise between the Minister of Justice and the Prosecutor General or within the prosecution, but these should be understood as a normal process of democracy."

Regarding criticism that there might be issues with the police's responsibility and investigative capabilities in child abuse cases such as the 'Jeong-in case' after the adjustment of investigative authority between the police and prosecution, President Moon dismissed it, saying, "Investigations into child abuse cases are unrelated to the adjustment of investigative authority between the police and prosecution."

However, President Moon said, "By deploying specialized police officers who work in coordination with dedicated child abuse officials and local community child protection agencies, we will strengthen the system to detect abused children earlier and take appropriate measures when child abuse is reported."