Jo Guk Attends Book Launch, Fiercely Criticizes Yoon and Prosecution... Ministry of Justice "Fairness Undermined"
Lee Seong-yoon, a research fellow at the Judicial Research and Training Institute (age 62, Judicial Research Institute class 23), who attended a book launch event hosted by former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk and criticized President Yoon Seok-yeol by saying "Yoon Seok-yeol's faction is the Hanahoe of Chun Doo-hwan," has been referred to the Prosecutor Disciplinary Committee.
Research Fellow Seong-yoon Lee, Judicial Research and Training Institute. / Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@
On the 30th, the Ministry of Justice announced in the official gazette a "public notice due to failure of service" and stated that the Prosecutor Disciplinary Committee will be held on the 14th of next month to review the disciplinary case against Lee.
The Ministry of Justice explained the reason for the disciplinary action, saying, "From around January 17, 2023, to around November 28 of the same year, Lee made inappropriate remarks through social media posts and interviews with the press on eight occasions that damaged or undermined the fairness of prosecutorial work."
It further pointed out, "By associating with persons suspected of having reasons to be suspected of undermining fairness, he damaged public trust in the fair exercise of prosecutorial authority and engaged in acts that harmed the dignity and prestige as a prosecutor."
At the book launch event for former Minister Cho's new book, Dice's Tears, in September last year, Lee criticized, saying, "Yoon Seok-yeol's faction is the Hanahoe of Chun Doo-hwan." He also described Cho as "a person with willpower like steel."
In November of the same year, at the launch event for his own book Flowers Are Innocent, Lee criticized Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok, who opposed the Democratic Party's push for impeachment of prosecutors, saying, "Prosecutors seem to think that protecting members of the organization is leadership, but that kind of thing does not work in today's world," criticizing Lee Won-seok's remarks.
On the 4th of this month, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office requested severe disciplinary action against Lee following the deliberation and resolution of the Inspection Committee.
Lee submitted his resignation to the Ministry of Justice on the 8th, three days before the November 11 deadline for public officials to run in the general election under the Public Official Election Act.
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