Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok: "In the Era of Judicial Whirlpools, the Demonization of the Prosecution Deepens"

Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok pointed out, "We are now in an era of what can be called the 'whirlpool judiciary,' where issues that should be communicated and deliberated upon across various social sectors such as politics, economy, culture, arts, religion, science, technology, and healthcare are being pushed into the prosecution and judiciary." He added, "The phenomenon of demonizing the prosecution has intensified, with cheers and applause when it favors certain interests, and criticism and spitting when it does not."

Prosecutor General Lee made these remarks on the morning of the 13th at his retirement ceremony held in the main auditorium on the 4th floor of the annex building of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul.

Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok is delivering his retirement speech at the retirement ceremony held on the 13th at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jin-hyung Kang aymsdream@

He said, "If we look deeper into our society, which has fallen into extreme polarization, we see a landscape filled with shouting, criticism, ridicule, curses, hatred, and contempt." He continued, "Divided by camps and factions, generations and genders, classes and regions, society has become one where people 'see only what they want to see, hear only what they want to hear,' or rather, 'only what they want is visible and audible,' and 'believe only what they want to believe.'"

He went on, "On one side, the prosecution is cursed as a dictatorship; on the other, it is criticized for accomplishing nothing. One side lashes out for excessive investigation, while the other points fingers at inadequate investigation. If such incidents had occurred in the opposing camp, they would have been judged in the exact opposite way. The honest reality is that harsh words are poured out not based on right or wrong but solely on advantage or disadvantage."

He urged that even in this whirlpool judiciary era, the principles of the rule of law must be upheld.

Prosecutor General Lee stated, "Alongside responding to crimes that threaten people's livelihoods, the main reason for the prosecution's existence is to declare 'what is right is right, and what is wrong is wrong.'" He warned, "If the basic norms and rules are ignored in the pursuit of power, followed by disruption of the legislative process, damage to the prosecution system and judicial procedures, and the law and institutions becoming tools for power struggles, public trust, democracy, and the rule of law will be at risk of collapse."

He emphasized, "In the 'whirlpool judiciary' era, deepened by the 'judicialization of politics and politicization of the judiciary,' we must not lose our center amid the extremes that only attack the opposing camp and defend their own."

He also said, "The prosecution consists of people who 'do the right thing in the right way correctly.'" He added, "Regarding corruption and misconduct, each case must be approached solely by examining evidence and legal principles under the standard and value of 'establishing justice even if the earth were to perish,' without considering personal or organizational interests."

He further urged, "Even in the 'whirlpool judiciary' era, where all social problems are pushed onto and entrusted to the prosecution and judiciary, and where people shout only to have their side favored, the prosecution must uphold the principles of 'rule of law' and 'legalism' to the very end."

Prosecutor General Lee reflected, "It has been 2 years and 4 months since I started as Acting Prosecutor General in May 2022 and took office as Prosecutor General in September. I have devoted my body and mind so much that there was not a single day or hour without anxiety, but I was not able to fully realize all the intentions I initially held."

He said, "It was a time of silently enduring criticism and curses from those who see the prosecution as a 'master key' to solve all worldly affairs and those who demonize the prosecution, persevering with a sense of duty and responsibility. I tried to judge every matter solely by the yardstick of evidence and legal principles and to decide with the people in mind, but I may not have fully met the expectations and trust of the people," expressing his thoughts.

Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok is shaking hands with staff at his retirement ceremony held on the 13th at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul.

Meanwhile, Prosecutor General Lee cited as achievements during his term: ▲the adjustment of prosecution investigative authority and the revision of the so-called 'complete prosecution investigation withdrawal' (Geomsu Wanbak) law, followed by legal and institutional improvements; ▲focusing efforts on crimes affecting people's livelihoods such as sexual violence, digital sex crimes, stalking, hate crimes, jeonse fraud, voice phishing, child abuse, drugs, drunk driving, and financial and securities crimes; ▲establishing the Securities Crime Joint Investigation Unit, Virtual Asset Crime Joint Investigation Unit, Voice Phishing Joint Investigation Unit, National Fiscal Crime Joint Investigation Unit, Special Drug Crime Investigation Headquarters, and Environmental Crime Joint Investigation Team; ▲forming and operating councils with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on 'jeonse fraud' and with the police on 'sexual violence, digital sex crimes, and stalking response'; ▲establishing a strict response policy with the Ministry of Employment and Labor regarding industrial accident prevention, wage arrears, and unfair labor practices in relation to the enforcement of the Serious Accident Punishment Act; ▲applying consistent standards to union employment irregularities and illegal collective actions at construction sites; ▲and conducting ex officio retrials and restoring honor for Jeju 4.3, abducted returning fishermen, and May 18-related persons, as well as prosecuting the West Sea public official shooting incident and forced repatriation of North Korean defectors.

However, he attributed any progress made to the efforts of the prosecution members, saying, "If there has been any improvement, it is thanks to the blood, sweat, and tears of the prosecution members, and any shortcomings or deficiencies are entirely due to my lack of wisdom and sincerity," giving credit to the staff.