Democratic Party: "Han Dong-hoon without Prosecutor General, Largest Personnel Shakeup... Complete Subordination of the Prosecution"

Kim Yong-min "Personal opinion, but dismissal recommendation impeachment should also be considered"
"President Yoon emphasized the role of the chief during his tenure but now has made the position meaningless"

On the 30th, Park Ju-min and other members of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee (first half) from the Democratic Party of Korea held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, condemning Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon's 'bypassing the Prosecutor General' and the personnel reshuffle favoring 'pro-Yoon' prosecutors.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The former first-half members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea criticized the large-scale prosecution personnel reshuffle conducted during the vacancy of the Prosecutor General position as “complete subordination of the prosecution,” not “independence of the prosecution.” Some lawmakers warned of the possibility of impeachment against Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon.

On the 30th, Democratic Party lawmakers including Park Jumin, former first-half members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, held a press conference at the National Assembly, stating, “Minister Han once again carried out a large-scale prosecution personnel reshuffle while the Prosecutor General position was vacant. This is already the third time, and this reshuffle involved about 700 personnel, the largest ever.” They added, “From now on, whoever becomes Prosecutor General will start their duties surrounded by prosecutors appointed by Minister Han.”

Regarding the consecutive reshuffles, they explained, “Immediately after his appointment, Minister Han replaced high-ranking prosecutors with the so-called ‘Yoon Seok-yeol faction’ without going through the Prosecution Personnel Committee.” They continued, “In the second reshuffle, 10 out of 17 promoted chief prosecutors were from the ‘Yoon Seok-yeol faction,’ and this time as well, prosecutors who had worked with or served as aides to President Yoon Seok-yeol during his prosecution tenure occupied key positions.”

They particularly described the appointment of Prosecutor Son Joon-sung, who is on trial over allegations of instigating political prosecution, to a key post as “blatant.” Prosecutor Son was appointed head of the Litigation Department at the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office in this reshuffle, and Prosecutor Seong Sang-wook, who drafted documents surveilling judges, became head of the Criminal Division 7 at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.

Lawmakers including Park also pointed out procedural issues. They said, “The Prosecutor General position has been vacant for over 50 days, but procedures such as convening the Prosecutor General Candidate Recommendation Committee have not even started.” They added, “We cannot help but suspect that Minister Han intends to do whatever he wants with prosecution personnel reshuffles and then appoint a Prosecutor General at his convenience.”

Referring to past remarks by President Yoon Seok-yeol when he was Prosecutor General, they said, “He emphasized the role of the Prosecutor General so much when he was in office, but now it seems he regards the Prosecutor General as a position that doesn’t really matter.” In the past, President Yoon had said regarding personnel matters as Prosecutor General, “(The Minister of Justice) never arranged personnel plans like that,” and “I have no personnel authority, and people around me called me a ‘plant Prosecutor General.’”

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min, after announcing the press statement, told reporters, “There is an interpretation that the Prosecutor General’s suggestion on personnel matters is an overreach beyond the authority of the acting Prosecutor General.” He added, “Personally, I think impeachment based on dismissal recommendation should also be considered. Fundamentally, I still believe Minister Han’s appointment is unconstitutional, so that issue must be resolved first.”