[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] Intense exchanges took place between former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol’s side and Shim Jae-cheol, head of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office, during the first trial of the lawsuit to cancel Yoon’s two-month suspension disciplinary action.
On the 19th, the Administrative Division 12 of the Seoul Administrative Court (Presiding Judge Jung Yong-seok) held the first hearing of the lawsuit filed by former Prosecutor General Yoon against the Minister of Justice to cancel the disciplinary action and conducted witness examination.
On that day, witnesses Shim, the head of the district prosecutor’s office, and Lee Jung-hyun, head of the Public Investigation Department of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, appeared. Shim, who was then head of the Anti-Corruption and Strong Crime Division at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in February last year, reportedly received a document titled ‘Judge Tendency Analysis’ from the head of the Investigation Command and Support Division and passed it on to Han Dong-soo, head of the Inspection Department at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office. This document was also handed over to Park Eun-jung, the Inspection Officer at the Ministry of Justice.
Yoon’s side questioned Shim about this document. When Yoon’s side asked, “You testified that you were angry because the document could be abused to threaten or persuade the court. Specifically, which part?” Shim replied, “It analyzed judges who were members of the Uri Law Research Association and major rulings, and this has been used by the media to criticize the court.”
Regarding Shim’s description of the cases handled by the judges in the document as “cases in which the Prosecutor General is fighting the current administration with his life on the line,” Yoon’s side pointed out, “This refers to the Blue House’s interference in the Ulsan mayoral election case, the case of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, and the investigation of former Busan Deputy Mayor Yoo Jae-soo, judging these as cases where the current administration and the Prosecutor General are in conflict.” They added, “There are also the former Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae’s state manipulation case, former President Park Geun-hye’s case, and Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong’s case,” and asked, “Are these also cases where the Prosecutor General and the current administration are fighting with their lives on the line?”
Claims regarding the Channel A investigation also continued between the two sides. When Yoon’s side asked, “What is the reason for judging it as collusion between prosecution and media?” Shim replied, “I have also been in the prosecution for a long time, and the cooperative relationship between legal reporters and investigative prosecutors has continued for 30 years.” When Yoon’s side pointed out, “Are you inferring this based on general circumstances when asking for evidence that Han Dong-hoon and Lee Dong-jae colluded and conspired?” Shim responded, “No. This is based on the recordings of Han Dong-hoon and Lee Dong-jae and Channel A’s own investigation results.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice requested an investigation by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office in February last year, claiming that former Prosecutor General Yoon was guilty of abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights related to court surveillance, but the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office, which took over the case, dismissed the charges in February this year, stating that it was difficult to recognize the charges. The court plans to proceed with the witness examination of Lee Jung-hyun, head of the Public Investigation Department at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, following Shim’s testimony, but Lee has requested a closed hearing.
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