"Errors Civil Servants Cannot Make"
Police Resist: "Must We Obey?"
Prosecutors Give Relatively Favorable Personnel Review, Dismiss Controversy Over Figurehead Prosecutor General
Within Prosecution, Speculation of 'Figurehead General' and 'Managerial General'
[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Hyung-min, Cho Sung-pil, Lee Ki-min] President Yoon Seok-yeol on the 23rd warned that the police's reversal of the Superintendent General personnel appointment was "a very serious breach of national discipline, or an absurd mistake that cannot be made by a public official."
President Yoon said on his way to the Yongsan office, "The personnel appointment was leaked before the president's approval was given, and before the Ministry of the Interior and Safety reviewed it and gave their opinion to the president. This was then reported by the media as if the appointment had been reversed," he said.
He also said, "The police simply assigned the personnel recommended internally by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety," adding, "This is an unreasonable act and could be considered a breach of national discipline. The authority for personnel appointments lies with the president," he emphasized.
President Yoon's remark about the breach of national discipline has caused ripples in the political sphere and the police. Members of the Democratic Party of Korea, who were formerly part of the Administrative and Security Committee, visited the National Police Agency on the same day to meet with Police Chief Kim Chang-ryong and other leadership, criticizing, "The reprimand of 'breach of national discipline' seems intended to scapegoat the police."
Assemblywoman Seo Young-kyo said, "I urged the police leadership to become an institution that serves the people," adding, "Especially, if there is a wrongdoing by those in power, investigations must be conducted, and I pointed out the attempts to control and block such investigations."
She added, "We will also form a countermeasure committee or task force (TF) in the National Assembly to respond accordingly." Assemblyman Lee Hae-sik said, "The president called the reversal of the Superintendent General appointment, which happened about two hours after the announcement, a 'breach of national discipline.' According to our findings, there was some intervention during those two hours," adding, "It is important to clarify whether this was due to unofficial power or reformist power, and we will clearly reveal this through the TF in the future."
Seo Young-kyo, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea who served as the Chairperson of the Public Administration and Security Committee in the first half of the 21st National Assembly, visited the National Police Agency in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul on the 23rd to condemn the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's police control and to urge the neutrality of the police. Photo by the National Assembly Press Corps
Within the police, there are heated reactions such as, "Is this a message to not question police control measures and personnel appointments but to obey?" or "It only looks like a disciplinary personnel move to create dogs blindly loyal to power."
An officer on the front line said, "Honestly, I don't know where the truth lies," but added, "I can't shake the suspicion that the Ministry of the Interior and Safety has become a paper tiger and is watching how the National Police Agency Chief responds to this personnel mishap." Police Chief Kim Chang-ryong has repeatedly requested meetings with Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min but has not even received a reply.
Regarding the prosecution personnel, President Yoon asked, "Can the Prosecutor General become a figurehead?" and emphasized, "The Prosecutor General is the person who directs investigations nationwide, so that cannot happen."
In response to criticism that personnel appointments centered on the Ministry of Justice undermine the independence and neutrality of prosecution investigations, President Yoon said, "Once an investigation is underway, external interference is impossible," adding, "If an investigative agency remains silent when interference occurs, can it still be called an investigative agency? I don't think you need to worry about that."
Lee Won-seok, Acting Prosecutor General (Deputy Prosecutor General of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office), also said to reporters on his way to work, "We had sufficient consultations on the personnel plan with the Ministry of Justice, exchanging various opinions, and throughout the process, we made several communication efforts based on mutual respect and recognition."
However, within the prosecution, dissatisfaction is growing over the personnel appointments led by Minister Han Dong-hoon, which are ultimately centered on the 'Yoon Seok-yeol faction,' 'special investigation division,' and 'close aides.' There is increasing speculation that the next Prosecutor General may become a 'figurehead' or 'management-type' Prosecutor General, with some even predicting that Minister Han will effectively take over the role of Prosecutor General.
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