"Yoon Seok-yeol's Reason for Investigating Cho Kuk: 'To Protect President Moon'"

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] A claim has drawn attention that former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol investigated the family of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk "to save President Moon Jae-in."

The book 'Gusuhan Yoon Seok-yeol' (Reading Life Books), published on the 12th, contains 'Yoon Seok-yeol anecdotes' conveyed by Yoon's classmates from the Seoul National University Law School class of '79.

The author, broadcast writer Kim Yeon-woo, wrote in the book's introduction, "I persuaded the hard-to-contact classmates from Seoul National University Law School class of '79 to learn about Yoon Seok-yeol's anecdotes."

According to the book, one classmate asked Yoon, "Why did you persist with the Cho Kuk investigation even to become a 'super villain'?" Yoon reportedly answered, "To save President Moon Jae-in."

Yoon expressed the view that one of the important duties of the Prosecutor General is to ensure the administration proceeds without trouble, and to do so, potential problematic issues must be addressed from the start.

Regarding this, his classmate said, "(Yoon) said that during former President Roh Moo-hyun's time, the prosecution intervened to manage people who were going astray around him, so there was no corruption throughout the term; that is exactly what the Prosecutor General should do," and added, "But when looking into the Cho Kuk case, he said the matter was so serious that if left unattended, it would cause enormous damage to the administration, so he started the investigation."

He continued, "He thought his duty was not to attack the administration but to quickly manage and stabilize people who could be a burden to the administration." The book did not disclose the identity of the classmate who made these remarks.

Meanwhile, the book also introduced Yoon's younger days. He liked drinking with friends and was known for his excellent singing skills, earning the nickname 'Yunrasido Seokmingyeol,' a play on the tenor Placido Domingo, during his university years.