[Law & Story] The Final Choice of Yoon Suk-yeol as a Human Being

Demoted and Reinstated After Prosecutorial Rebellion
Made Principle-Driven Choices Under the Moon Jae-in Administration
Now, a Decisive Choice for the Nation and Its People Is Hoped For

Seokjin Choi, Legal Affairs Reporter

The first time I saw President Yoon Suk-yeol up close was late in the evening on October 21, 2013. I was extremely exhausted from covering a parliamentary audit that had lasted over 12 hours since morning. "Given how things have turned out, I will tell you everything truthfully." That moment, I was instantly alert. 'Do prosecutors also make revelations?' I thought.

Determined, President Yoon was unstoppable. Standing at the parliamentary audit witness stand, he had been suspended from duty and returned to his post as head of the Yeoju branch after leading the investigation into the 'National Intelligence Service (NIS) comment manipulation case' and arresting NIS employees without reporting to his superiors.

That day, he revealed that there had been pressure from higher-ups during the investigation. In front of Cho Young-gon, then head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, he said, "I judged that it was impossible to continue this case under the chief prosecutor," and when asked whether Lee Jin-han, then deputy chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and his direct superior, was the overall person responsible for the investigation, he replied, "I do not think so." Prosecutor Cho, who was watching this scene from the side, shed tears. This was an unprecedented insubordination and rebellion in the prosecution, where hierarchy is stricter than any other organization. It was the day prosecutor Yoon Suk-yeol first drew the world's attention. The phrase "I do not pledge loyalty to any person" also came out that day.

The price for exposing unjust investigation pressure was severe. Having served as head of the 1st and 2nd Major Crimes Divisions of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and as head of the 1st Special Investigation Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office?positions reserved for the elite among elites?he was demoted the following year to a low-profile post as a prosecutor at the Daegu High Prosecutors' Office, and two years later further demoted to the Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office, making it seem unlikely he would make a comeback.

Yet, he reappeared in the media in late 2016, dressed casually in a jumper, as part of the special prosecution team investigating the Choi Soon-sil political scandal. Special Prosecutor Park Young-soo appointed him as the head of the investigation team, commanding 20 dispatched prosecutors and 40 dispatched officials from the prosecution, police, and National Tax Service, despite his initial reluctance due to his past of tarnishing the administration through the NIS comment manipulation investigation.

After the special prosecution achieved unprecedented results and the administration changed, he made a spectacular return to the prosecution as head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. This was a groundbreaking and unconventional appointment, as he commanded seniors from the Judicial Research and Training Institute as his 1st and 3rd deputy prosecutors. Subsequently, he promoted his close associates, including Han Dong-hoon, to key positions, earning a reputation as a power player even more influential than Moon Moo-il, then Prosecutor General.

With President Moon Jae-in's absolute trust, he was eventually appointed Prosecutor General, leapfrogging four senior prosecutors. However, he fell into trouble again while investigating Cho Kuk, then Minister of Justice nominee and his direct superior, whom President Moon favored. Despite President Moon's discouragement, saying "Is it really necessary to investigate?" he indicted Cho Kuk's wife, Jung Kyung-shim, on the evening of the ministerial confirmation hearing for alleged forgery of a certificate, with the statute of limitations about to expire.

The backlash for defying the president's wishes was several times harsher than his previous insubordination within the prosecution. He became the 'public enemy' of the ruling party, and then Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae stripped him of his investigative authority, which he resisted by stating, "The Prosecutor General is not subordinate to the Minister of Justice," and filed disciplinary charges against him on six counts. Ironically, this unjust attack propelled him into politics and made him president within just six months. Yesterday, the Supreme Court delivered a final guilty verdict against former Minister Cho.

Regrettably, the human Yoon Suk-yeol's current choice seems likely to end in impeachment and criminal punishment. It is bittersweet to watch his fall after rising to the highest position through a unique choice based on conviction, but perhaps it is now time to let everything go. I hope his final choice will be the best one for the Republic of Korea and its people.