"Disciplinary Action Against Lee Sungyun Not Considered... Separate From Indictment Issue"
On Lee Jaeyong's Possible Parole: "Public Legal Sentiment and Consensus Matter... No Exceptions for Individuals"
Minister of Justice Park Beomgye is answering reporters' questions at a press conference for legal correspondents held at the Government Complex Gwacheon on the 11th. Photo by Ministry of Justice.
[Asia Economy, Reporter Kim Daehyun] Minister of Justice Park Beomgye has announced that "ensuring the political neutrality of the prosecution" will be a key task for future prosecutorial reform.
On May 11 at 2:00 p.m., Minister Park held a press conference with legal correspondents in a public meeting room at the Government Complex Gwacheon to mark his 100th day in office. He stated, "I have received concerns and worries from field prosecutors regarding the reform of investigative powers," and emphasized, "The most important issue is political neutrality." He reiterated, "I have received concerns and worries from field prosecutors regarding the reform of investigative powers," and stressed again, "The most important issue is political neutrality."
On this day, Minister Park said, "I am confident that the direction of investigative power reform is correct. This is an achievement of the Moon Jae-in administration," and evaluated, "The establishment of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) itself is highly significant as an institution related to prosecutorial reform."
In particular, he said, "As the President has stated, under the new Prosecutor General's leadership, the neutrality and depoliticization of the prosecution will be extremely important tasks going forward." He added, "I believe that preventing the organization from being labeled as 'political' is a key point for improving its culture." He further explained, "With regard to the appropriateness of investigation periods, case assignments, and investigation team compositions, universal and reasonable standards that are not biased in any direction could be considered."
However, regarding the upcoming high-level personnel appointments in the prosecution, he said, "We are still in the verification stage," and added, "We are working toward future-oriented goals, but it is difficult to comment on the specific standards."
When asked how he would ensure the neutrality of prosecutors from political pressure, he responded, "The Minister has general authority to direct investigations and is the top administrative supervisor," but added, "However, I believe that investigative directives that prevent investigations from taking place should not be issued." He continued, "If a prosecutor suspects a crime, it is only right to investigate. The questions of how to begin, how far to go, and how much compulsion to use are matters for which a social consensus has already been established."
He also stated, "There should be no division of sides or partisanship in investigations. While the concept of justice must be upheld, various legal principles such as proportionality and adequacy will also apply."
Each day feels like standing on a precipice, with mountains upon mountains ahead. There are countless difficult issues to resolve, the road is long, and the day is drawing to a close.
Minister Park used these words to describe his feelings after 100 days in office. On this day, he received a variety of questions from the legal correspondents, including those concerning the possible pardon of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jaeyong, personnel appointments for senior prosecutors, the controversy over the alleged illegal travel ban involving Kim Hakui, and the future of Seoul Central District Prosecutor Lee Sungyun, among other current issues at the Ministry of Justice.
"Controversy Over Lee Sungyun and the 'Kim Hakui Illegal Travel Ban'... What Matters Is Justice and Fairness"
During the press conference, questions continued regarding the future of Prosecutor Lee, who recently received a prosecution recommendation from the Prosecution Investigation Deliberation Committee (Investigation Deliberation Committee).
When asked whether he would place Prosecutor Lee on standby, Minister Park avoided a direct answer, saying, "I have not given it much thought." However, he emphasized, "The procedures and standards for being indicted and standing trial, and for disciplinary action, are separate processes and separate systems." This implied that he was not currently considering disciplinary action against Prosecutor Lee.
He said, "It is not possible for everyone to view the 'Kim Hakui case' through a single, uniform lens," and added, "What is important to keep in mind is which facts align with the concept of justice and which are fair."
He continued, "There is hope for the prosecution. At the very least, prosecutors felt ashamed about the Kim Hakui case," and added, "We can turn the question around and ask what true justice is, both in substance and in procedure."
When asked if he believed Prosecutor Lee maintained political neutrality, Minister Park said, "I will consider the various concerns, thoughts, and reasonable approaches," and refrained from further comment.
He stated, "The case involving former Vice Minister Kim is not over yet," and added, "We must examine both the bright and dark sides of this case." In particular, he explained, "With regard to the travel ban, there are already individuals who have been or are scheduled to be indicted. Although the individuals involved completely deny the charges, prosecutors proceeded with indictments with conviction."
He further stated, "There are many aspects to examine in this case, including how it started, the timing of the investigation, case assignment, command structure, and disclosure of suspects' information." This suggests that there may be inappropriate aspects to the prosecution's attempt to indict Prosecutor Lee and others.
"Moon Jae-in Administration Has Deliberated Heavily on 'Prosecutorial Appointments'... Difficult to Evaluate Past Appointments"
When asked how he would evaluate the Moon Jae-in administration's approach to prosecutorial appointments, Minister Park replied, "The government has deliberated heavily, which is why I refer to objective indicators," but also said, "It is difficult to evaluate past appointments because they were made by the President."
Regarding criticism that prosecutors who investigated the ruling party were demoted, he said, "Whether the appointments were fair or not, I too will be evaluated in the near future," and added, "I will conduct appointments that take into deep consideration the President's principles, the wishes and concerns of field prosecutors, and what the new Prosecutor General can consider to stabilize the prosecution organization." He added, "It is a difficult task, but I ask for your patience."
"Cannot Compel or Debate 'Lee Jaeyong Pardon'... Public Legal Sentiment Is Important"
On this day, there were also questions regarding the possibility of pardoning Vice Chairman Lee. In response, Minister Park said, "Yesterday, President Moon mentioned four factors at his fourth anniversary press conference: public consensus, fairness, the semiconductor industry, and precedents. In summary, it comes down to public legal sentiment and consensus."
He said he could not specifically mention Vice Chairman Lee regarding parole. Minister Park stated, "Since my inauguration, I have believed that the parole rate should be increased, and I have been preparing to do so," but emphasized, "This has nothing to do with Mr. Lee Jaeyong. Even if the 60% sentence completion requirement for parole review is met, a recommendation from the prison warden is still necessary." This means that the government cannot make an exception and push for a pardon just because it involves Vice Chairman Lee.
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