Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye is responding to reporters' questions as he enters the Gwangju High and District Prosecutors' Office building in Jisan-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju on the 5th.
[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] On the 5th, Park Beom-gye, Minister of Justice, stated regarding the appointment of the next Prosecutor General, "We are entering the practical preparation stage," and added, "We will promptly form the Prosecutor General Candidate Recommendation Committee."
Minister Park made these remarks during a meeting with reporters after visiting the Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office and District Prosecutors' Office on the same day.
In fact, the Ministry of Justice is currently known to be working on selecting external members for the Prosecutor General Candidate Recommendation Committee.
According to the Prosecutors' Office Act, the Prosecutor General Candidate Recommendation Committee is convened by the chairperson upon the request of the Minister of Justice, or when one-third or more of the members request it, or when the chairperson deems it necessary.
The committee consists of nine members including one chairperson, comprising ▲ Director of the Prosecutor's Office at the Ministry of Justice ▲ Deputy Director of the Court Administration Office ▲ President of the Korean Bar Association ▲ President of the Korean Association of Law Professors ▲ Chairman of the Council of Law Schools ▲ a former high-ranking prosecutor who served as a senior prosecutor at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and is highly respected in society ▲ and three persons who have academic knowledge and virtue, are experienced in various professional fields, and do not hold lawyer qualifications (at least one of whom is female). These members are appointed or commissioned by the Minister of Justice. The chairperson is also appointed or commissioned by the Minister.
Regarding the criteria for selecting the next Prosecutor General, Minister Park responded cautiously, saying, "I have it in mind, but it is not a decision I can make alone. I need to consult and prepare thoroughly, so it is difficult to disclose the criteria yet."
Meanwhile, before visiting the Gwangju High and District Prosecutors' Offices, Minister Park appeared in a special interview with KBC Gwangju Broadcasting and said, "I will deeply contemplate over the weekend and holidays and discuss through channels to form a direction for the next Prosecutor General."
When asked about his thoughts on former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl's resignation with four months left in his term, he expressed regret, saying, "I wish he had completed his term, but it is very unfortunate that he resigned with only four months remaining."
However, regarding rumors about Yoon's entry into politics, he drew a line, stating, "That is not a matter for me to answer."
Minister Park urged prosecutors, saying, "I hope the prosecution will not be greatly shaken by Yoon's resignation. I understand the feelings of disappointment, but please devote yourselves to your duties without any gaps."
Regarding criticism directed at him from within the prosecution, he said, "The Minister of Justice is not a position that only receives praise from frontline prosecutors. Whatever is said, I consider it as the opinion of prosecutors and will fully understand their feelings."
On prosecutors' concerns about the promotion of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (Jungsucheong), he said, "It seems that members of the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution are quite troubled. There is definitely an intention within some parts of the Democratic Party to propose a bill for Jungsucheong. However, the current situation is not one where a deadline has been set to submit the bill or the contents of the bill are firmly established. The Democratic Party's Special Committee on Prosecutorial Reform is discussing various proposals, and among them, expert opinions and the views of prosecution members must be heard. Especially, the most important thing is to secure public consensus, which the committee is also emphasizing."
However, he refrained from elaborating, saying, "I will withhold my answer a bit because discussing the plan I have in mind in advance might hinder natural discussions, the expression of diverse opinions, and the acquisition of public consensus."
Minister Park added, "However, today, during my visit to the Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office and Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office, I held a meeting with rank-and-file prosecutors and listened carefully to their various concerns and opinions, which I will take into full consideration. So, there is no need to worry too much."
On the day, before the meeting with rank-and-file prosecutors, Minister Park had lunch with senior officials including Gwangju High Prosecutors' Office Chief Prosecutor Koo Bon-seon and Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office Chief Prosecutor Yeo Hwan-seop. The visit was accompanied by Lee Jung-soo, Director of the Prosecutor's Office, and Lee Sang-gap, Director of the Human Rights Office.
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