Ahn Cheol-soo: "Protecting Yoon Seok-yeol is a Just Struggle to Defend Democracy and the Rule of Law"

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, criticized on the 4th the government and ruling party’s plan to establish the Serious Crime Investigation Office (Jungsucheong), saying, "Even though the whole country is permeated with the stench of rot, they are bizarrely trying to make it harder to eradicate corruption and to hollow out the national judicial function."

Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, is attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 4th and delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

At the People’s Party Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that day, Ahn said, "They cannot suppress us by force, nor can they expel us by disciplinary action, so now they are resorting to the despicable act of burning down the entire house called the prosecution to prevent Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol from doing anything," adding, "I firmly oppose the stripping of the prosecution’s investigative authority that aims to dismantle South Korea’s 70-year judicial system entirely for purely political interests and personal grudges."

He said, "In a situation where pro-government prosecutors are clamoring to hand over their own criminal suspicion cases one after another to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), if the prosecution’s investigative authority is removed and Jungsucheong is established, it is obvious that it will become a sanctuary for criminals and an extraterritorial zone for those in power," adding, "It is as clear as seeing fire that South Korea will head down the path of corruption and national ruin."

Ahn criticized, "Did Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae really mean it when she said, ‘Prosecutor General Yoon is the prosecution chief of the Moon Jae-in administration,’ while dismissing her and keeping Yoon in office?" and asked, "What is the reason for pushing forward the stripping of the prosecution’s investigative authority and the establishment of Jungsucheong, which Prosecutor General Yoon is determined to block at the risk of his position?"

He appealed, "If the president still has any conscience left, I hope he immediately stops the establishment of Jungsucheong that will give impunity to those in power, allow criminals to run rampant, and shatter South Korea’s judicial system."

Ahn said, "Protecting Prosecutor General Yoon is not about protecting him personally, but about supporting and safeguarding the majority of conscientious prosecutors who fight against the injustice of blocking investigations into corrupt power," adding, "Protecting Yoon Seok-yeol is a just struggle to defend democracy and the rule of law."