[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Park Beom-gye, Minister of Justice, described the allegations that the prosecution, during the tenure of former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, commissioned complaints against ruling party figures through the opposition party as a "very serious matter."
On the evening of the 2nd, Minister Park, speaking to reporters on his way home, said in response to related questions, "If the reports are true, it concerns the prosecution's duty of political neutrality, and Prosecutor General Kim Oh-soo's order for a fact-finding investigation is an appropriate measure." However, he added, "Since an active prosecutor is reportedly involved, the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office cannot remain passive," but also noted, "As the Supreme Prosecutors' Office is still in the fact-finding stage, it is too early to talk about disciplinary action." He further stated, "The Ministry of Justice will keep a close watch on the situation."
Earlier, the internet news outlet 'Newsbus' reported that in April last year, during former Prosecutor General Yoon's tenure, Prosecutor Son Jun-sung, then head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Investigation Information Policy Division (currently Human Rights Protection Officer at Daegu High Prosecutors' Office), delivered a complaint containing the names of Yoo Si-min, chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, and Choi Kang-wook and Hwang Hee-seok, then candidates for proportional representation members of the Open Democratic Party, to Kim Woong, a candidate for the United Future Party (now People Power Party) for the National Assembly. Prosecutor General Kim ordered the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Inspection Department to conduct a fact-finding investigation upon receiving the report.
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