Ministry of Justice Begins Investigation into 'Verbal Abuse and Disrespect' Ahead of Prosecutor Mid-Level Personnel Appointments

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The Ministry of Justice has launched an investigation into the verbal dispute that erupted during an executive dinner, which sparked controversy over 'rude and disrespectful remarks.'

According to legal circles on the 26th, Ministry of Justice executives had an argument at a dinner gathering held after the farewell ceremony of former Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye on the 6th of last month. At that time, the "Complete Removal of Prosecution's Investigation Rights" (Geomsu Wanbak) bill had just been passed. Executive A, a former member of the Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun), spoke with the intention of reflecting on the past abuse of investigation and prosecution rights by the prosecution, and called Prosecutor B, who belongs to the Ministry of Justice, by name without mentioning his title, which escalated into a heated emotional confrontation. The next morning, A sent a text message to B saying, "I think I was disrespectful," and B replied, "It's okay," bringing the incident to a temporary close.

This incident was recently reported in the media, sparking controversy over 'rude and disrespectful remarks.' In response, the Ministry of Justice began fact-finding efforts the day before through the Office of Inspection.

Some in the legal community find the timing of the investigation suspicious, as it began just before the mid-level prosecutor personnel reshuffle. There is speculation that the delayed investigation, which started more than a month later, is a strategic move to remove personnel affiliated with Minbyun. The previous Moon Jae-in administration, advocating for the 'de-prosecution' of the Ministry of Justice, appointed eight Minbyun-affiliated individuals to open positions at the department head level or higher. With the change of administration and the Ministry of Justice being reorganized around the prosecution, the status of these individuals is receiving the most attention ahead of the personnel reshuffle. If an external appointee becomes a director-level official, their retirement age is guaranteed up to 60 years old under the Public Officials Act. Therefore, the Ministry of Justice cannot dismiss them outright but can assign them to less significant positions.