Acting Prosecutor General Lee Wonseok: "Prosecutors Have Only the Calling to Fulfill Their Entrusted Duties"

Lee: "We Must Reflect on What We Have Done for the People and the Nation, and Consider How We Will Act Going Forward"

Lee Wonseok, Acting Prosecutor General (Deputy Prosecutor General of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office), is speaking at the transfer event following the personnel reshuffle of deputy and chief prosecutors for the second half of the year held at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 4th. Photo by Supreme Prosecutors' Office

[Asia Economy, reporter Heo Kyungjun] Wonseok Lee, Acting Prosecutor General (Deputy Prosecutor General of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office), urged prosecutors newly assigned through the regular personnel reshuffle on the 4th to "do their utmost to protect the fundamental rights of the people."

At the transfer event held at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office that morning, Lee emphasized, "There is no fixed position for a prosecutor as a public official. We only temporarily stay in the assigned role during our term, and during that time, our only calling is to become the true master of that position (sucheojakju) and fulfill the duties entrusted to us."

He continued, "In the word 'job' (jigeop), 'jik' means 'position' and 'eop' means 'work.' If you focus only on the 'position' and perform your 'work,' it will result in negative outcomes for yourself, the prosecution, and the nation. We must pursue the 'work' so that the 'position' naturally follows. Prosecutors as public officials must not forget that their 'work' as professionals is itself an honorable 'position' aligned with the public interest."

He added, "Especially in difficult times, I hope you will return to the basics and your original intentions, looking only to the people and making every effort with the determination to protect their fundamental rights. Before thinking about what the prosecution has done for you or can do for you, you should reflect on what you have done for the people and the country, and consider what you will do and how you will do it in the future."

Acting Prosecutor General Lee also emphasized the 'Team-First' spirit. He said, "The most prestigious Major League Baseball club in the United States is composed of star players, but it adheres to the 'NNOB (No Name On Back)' policy, not putting players' names on their uniforms. This is to instill the 'Team-First' spirit, where the team comes before individual players."

In addition, Acting Prosecutor General Lee called for the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to faithfully fulfill its role in supporting frontline prosecutors' offices. He said, "Please completely discard the notion that the Supreme Prosecutors' Office is a superior institution, and remember that our role is to support and assist the members of frontline offices so they can perform their duties well. I hope you will develop systems and policies suited to the realities of the judiciary based on the opinions of frontline offices and the public, share them with the field for implementation, and work in a way that incorporates feedback for continuous improvement."

The event was kept brief, with only 51 officials-agency heads newly assigned to the Seoul metropolitan area and prosecutors newly assigned to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office-attending, in order to simplify procedures and protocol, minimize movement, and allow everyone to focus on their work.