"Destruction of Constitutional Spirit" Direct Criticism of Moon... Where Is Yoon Seok-yeol's Path Heading? [Han Seung-gon's Political Notebook]

Yoon Seok-yeol Abruptly Resigns as Prosecutor General
Democratic Party Calls Him "Worst Prosecutor General in History," "Political Prosecutor," "Irresponsible Resignation"
"Thrown Out Despite President Moon's Guaranteed Term," Fierce Criticism
Kim Jong-in: "He Inevitably Becomes an Opposition Figure"
Will Yoon Seok-yeol Spark 'Regime Judgment' Debate?

Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, who abruptly tendered his resignation, is leaving the Supreme Prosecutors' Office building in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 4th. President Moon Jae-in accepted Yoon's resignation about an hour later.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol announced his resignation from the position of Prosecutor General on the 4th, prompting the political sphere to be busy calculating the so-called 'political arithmetic' surrounding him. For now, the Democratic Party of Korea has sharply criticized Yoon's resignation, calling it a political prosecution. Meanwhile, the People Power Party has extended a love call. Given this situation, there is speculation that the atmosphere of the upcoming Seoul and Busan mayoral by-elections in April, as well as next year's presidential election, cannot be free from the so-called 'Yoon Seok-yeol trajectory' depending on Yoon's moves.

At 2 p.m. on the same day, Yoon personally issued a statement in front of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office building in Seocho-gu, Seoul, saying, "I intend to resign as Prosecutor General today," thereby expressing his intention to resign.

He stated, "The constitutional spirit and the rule of law system that have sustained this country are being destroyed. The damage will directly fall on the people," adding, "I can no longer stand by as the justice and common sense that this society has painstakingly built collapse. My work in the prosecution ends here."

The Democratic Party downplayed the significance of Yoon's resignation, calling it 'political prosecution.' Spokesperson Heo Young said in a briefing that afternoon, "Yoon's inaugural speech, in which he promised to lead reform as the subject of reform until the prosecution becomes a trusted institution by the people, has been revealed as false."

Heo criticized, "Yoon, who said he 'does not serve any person,' has only been loyal to the power institution called 'the prosecution,' dressing it up as fairness and justice. The prosecution's 'selective justice' and 'selective investigation' were disguised as 'investigations into the living power,' and the prosecution's 'covering for their own' was packaged as 'killing Yoon Seok-yeol,' demonstrating the capabilities of political prosecution."

Chief Spokesperson Choi In-ho also posted on his Facebook, saying, "It is a highly irresponsible act to throw away the position of Prosecutor General citing matters under discussion in the National Assembly," and added, "It is suspicious whether he used the prosecution organization not out of loyalty but for his political moves." He further emphasized, "Yoon Seok-yeol's irresponsible resignation has further damaged the status of the prosecution," and "This only strengthens the grounds for the need for prosecution reform."

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun also criticized at the regular briefing, saying, "It is very regrettable," and Democratic Party lawmaker Hong Young-pyo raised his voice, saying, "Even the term that the president tried to protect until the end was thrown away for a political event."

Supreme Council member Roh Woong-rae also claimed, "He refused suspension of duty and even threatened lawsuits, but resigning about four months before the end of his term is the result of thorough political calculation," and "It raises suspicion of a 'planned resignation by the opposition' aiming to focus issues by playing the victim and steer the by-election in a favorable direction." He added, "He obstructed prosecution reform solely for the benefit of the prosecution until the end and even planned his resignation as a political show, remaining as the 'ultimate political prosecutor,'" and criticized, "He will be recorded as the worst Prosecutor General in history."

Kim Jong-in, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party Photo by Yonhap News

On the other hand, unlike the ruling party, which is full of criticism, the opposition party is generally taking a positive stance on Yoon's resignation. Especially, Emergency Committee Chairman Kim Jong-in defined former Prosecutor General Yoon, who resigned the day before, as a 'figure of the opposition.'

In an interview with Yonhap News on the 5th, Kim emphasized that since Yoon resigned opposing the Moon Jae-in administration, "he inevitably becomes a figure of the opposition." He also said, "If Yoon wants to meet or seeks advice, I said 'I can meet him.'"

Floor Leader Joo Ho-young also met with reporters at the National Assembly on the same day and said, "If necessary, the People Power Party will do its best to join forces with Prosecutor General Yoon to protect the Constitution and the rule of law of the Republic of Korea," extending a love call to Yoon.

Even if Yoon does not play any role in the by-elections immediately, as a leading figure of the opposition, his continuous media exposure and critical stance toward the Moon Jae-in administration could rekindle the 'opposition-led regime judgment theory.' This is why the political world is keenly watching Yoon's moves.

While Kim Jong-in, Floor Leader Joo, and others from the People Power Party are sending active messages regarding Yoon's trajectory, there is also an expectation that Yoon might help the elections in some form.

Kim Geun-sik, Vision Strategy Director, said in a phone interview with Asia Economy, "Yoon will first become an important asset of the opposition. We need to watch his moves after resignation," and predicted, "In the by-elections, he will indirectly help by sharply criticizing the government."

On the morning of the 5th, a support wreath for former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol was placed in front of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-dong, Seoul. From this day, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office will switch to the 'Acting Prosecutor General' system under Deputy Prosecutor General Cho Nam-kwon. This is the third time Deputy Prosecutor General Cho has served as acting prosecutor general.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, a public opinion poll released on the 4th showed that the gap in presidential approval ratings between Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon and Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung has somewhat narrowed.

According to a survey conducted by Embrain Public, K-Stat Research, Korea Research, and Hankook Research from the 1st to the 3rd among 1,004 people aged 18 and over nationwide, Lee Jae-myung received the highest support at 27%. Lee Nak-yeon was at 12%, and Yoon Seok-yeol at 9%.

Lee Nak-yeon's approval rating stopped declining and rebounded after four weeks, and Yoon Seok-yeol's after seven weeks. Respondents who answered 'no suitable candidate' or 'don't know' accounted for 33%, down 3 percentage points from the previous week.

Among conservative presidential candidates, Yoon's support rose by 1 percentage point to 13%, the highest. Following him were People's Party leader Ahn Cheol-soo at 11%, independent lawmaker Hong Joon-pyo at 10%, and former People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Seung-min at 6%. Party support was surveyed as Democratic Party 34%, People Power Party 21%, Justice Party 6%, People's Party 4%, and Open Democratic Party 3%.

In Seoul, ahead of the mayoral by-election, the Democratic Party had 29% support and the People Power Party 21%. In the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam regions, the Democratic Party had 32% support and the People Power Party 28%. The margin of error for this poll is ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For detailed information, refer to the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.