[2024 National Audit] Jeong Cheong-rae, Chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, Reads Impeachment Charges Against 4 Prosecutors at Supreme Prosecutors' Office Audit...Ruling Party Opposition

During the National Assembly Judiciary Committee's audit of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jeong Cheong-rae read out the impeachment proposals against four prosecutors.

Chairman Jeong stated that the public opinion is being misled as if the Democratic Party of Korea impeached the prosecutors to shield party leader Lee Jae-myung, and requested Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung to fully acknowledge the content and respond. However, ruling party members strongly opposed this.

At the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee's inspection of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office held on the 21st, Jeong Cheong-rae, chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, is reading aloud the reasons for the impeachment motions against four prosecutors for whom impeachment motions have been filed. Photo by the National Assembly Broadcast.

On the 21st, during the National Assembly Judiciary Committee's audit of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Democratic Party lawmaker Park Gyun-taek asked Prosecutor General Shim whether the prosecutors who decided not to indict Kim Keon-hee regarding the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation allegations during the audit period should take the lead in directly disciplining themselves.

Prosecutor General Shim replied, "I do not think so, and I believe the Central District Prosecutors' Office investigation team did their best under the given circumstances."

Lawmaker Park retorted, "All the people said no, but you believe them, right?" and Shim responded, "I always trust prosecutors."

When Park asked, "Will you continue to trust them until they make mistakes?" Shim answered, "Nothing has been proven wrong yet, and I am directing prosecutors to investigate according to law and principles."

Park then asked, "Have you read the reasons for the prosecutors' impeachment?" and Shim replied, "Yes, I have."

Park inquired, "Were the prosecutors impeached because they conducted investigations, or because they committed illegal acts during the investigation process?"

Shim answered, "I understand that there are issues with the investigation content and suspicions about the investigation process, and these overlap."

Park pressed, "Then, even if the suspicions of illegal acts are true, shouldn't impeachment be possible?" Shim said, "I understand that the National Assembly is conducting hearings and investigations."

When Park asked again, "If the suspicions are proven true and the actions are unacceptable to the public's common sense, would you agree to the impeachment?" Shim replied, "That is not for me to agree on; I believe it is the authority of the National Assembly."

Earlier, during questions from ruling party lawmakers, Prosecutor General Shim expressed concerns that the Democratic Party's push for prosecutors' impeachment would unjustly suspend the duties of prosecutors as state officials, and even if the Constitutional Court later dismisses the impeachment trial request, irreparable damage would occur.

Immediately after Park's questioning, Chairman Jeong Cheong-rae said, "Regarding the prosecutors' impeachment, the National Assembly Judiciary Committee is proceeding according to due process, and we previously directly summoned Prosecutor Um Hee-jun and heard that 'the right to propose impeachment against prosecutors belongs to the National Assembly.' However, public opinion is being misled as if the impeachment is to shield party leader Lee Jae-myung or because investigations were conducted, so I corrected that."

He continued, "Since the Prosecutor General has not yet acknowledged this, I will read the reasons for the impeachment proposals against the four prosecutors. I hope the Prosecutor General fully understands and responds."

At this, ruling party lawmakers raised their voices in strong opposition.

However, Chairman Park said, "Please listen carefully," and read all the reasons for the impeachment proposals against the four prosecutors: Kim Young-cheol, Park Sang-yong, Um Hee-jun, and Kang Baek-shin.

During this, ruling party lawmakers continued to oppose, but Chairman Park did not stop, saying, "This is for the Prosecutor General to hear. The Prosecutor General is taking notes."

Previously, the Democratic Party passed impeachment proposals against Prosecutor Kim Young-cheol on charges including ▲ instructing witness Jang Si-ho to memorize written questions and answers containing unfavorable content against defendant Lee Jae-yong, which were obtained as confidential information during the investigation, with the intent to criminally punish and disadvantage Lee Jae-yong (obstruction of justice and official secrets leakage), ▲ neglect of duty and violation of political neutrality for the lenient investigations resulting in no charges against President Yoon Seok-youl and Kim Keon-hee regarding problematic cases, and ▲ illegal direct investigation of opposition party lawmakers for violations of the Political Parties Act and disclosure of suspect facts.

In the case of Prosecutor Park Sang-yong, the impeachment reasons include ▲ abuse of authority by repeatedly coercing and forcing former Gyeonggi Province Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young, who was detained and in a desperate situation, to make false statements either directly or through third parties, for the purpose of criminally punishing Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung on behalf of President Yoon Seok-youl, ▲ essentially infringing on Lee Hwa-young's right to legal counsel, ▲ disclosure of suspect facts and official secrets leakage, and ▲ damaging public property by smearing feces in the waiting room and restroom sinks of the Ulsan District Prosecutors' Office building.

Prosecutor Um Hee-jun faces charges including ▲ instructing inmates to commit perjury with the intent to harm former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook, and ▲ calling inmates who were with Han Man-ho in the detention center to the prosecutor's office to practice false testimony together with Han Man-ho, after Han Man-ho reversed his statement that he gave money to former Prime Minister Han during the political funds law violation trial.

Prosecutor Kang Baek-shin, who was dispatched to the Park Young-soo special prosecution team and had a connection with President Yoon Seok-youl, who was the investigation team leader at the time, was appointed as the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office's "Special Investigation Team on Election Interference and Public Opinion Manipulation," investigating allegations of false interviews involving Kim Man-bae, the major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management, related to former Press Union Chairman Shin Hak-rim, whom the presidential office defined as the "mastermind of the Daejang-dong main culprit and the Unno-ryeon chairman's joint unprecedented presidential election political manipulation case." He faces charges including ▲ violating the Prosecutors' Office Act by directly investigating defamation, which is not subject to prosecutors' investigation under the Prosecutors' Office Act, ▲ abuse of authority, ▲ violation of constitutional and Prosecutors' Office Act political neutrality obligations, and ▲ disclosure of suspect facts.