Democratic Party Claims "Prosecutor General Shim Confessed to Being an Accomplice in Insurrection"
The Democratic Party of Korea visited the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the 10th to protest against the prosecution's decision to forgo an immediate appeal against the court's ruling to cancel the arrest of President Yoon Seok-yeol.
Members of the Democratic Party's Internal Investigation Team, including Team Leader Chu Mi-ae, are shouting slogans condemning Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 10th. Photo by Yonhap News
Members of the Democratic Party's Internal Investigation Team, including Chu Mi-ae, Seo Young-kyo, Park Seon-won, and Kang Yoo-jung, held placards demanding the resignation of Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung as they visited the Supreme Prosecutors' Office building in Seocho-gu, Seoul, that morning.
The investigation team stated, "Prosecutor General Shim has confessed to being an accomplice in the insurrection himself. This is because he gave orders to forgo an immediate appeal and to release the insurrection ringleader Yoon Seok-yeol," adding, "We are filing charges against Prosecutor General Shim for admitting to being an accomplice in the insurrection."
They continued, "After the decision not to extend President Yoon's detention period, Prosecutor General Shim should have promptly prosecuted him; however, he delayed the process by convening a meeting of prosecutors general, an unnecessary procedure," they claimed.
They also pointed out, "Ignoring the legal opinion of Park Se-hyun, head of the Special Investigation Headquarters, who strongly recommended an immediate appeal, constitutes an abuse of authority that even infringes on the internal democracy of the prosecution," and added, "The decision to forgo the immediate appeal is a clear dereliction of duty."
Furthermore, they said, "The prosecution has uncritically accepted the claims of Yoon Seok-yeol and the People Power Party, taking the lead in protecting the insurrection ringleader Yoon Seok-yeol," and accused, "The prosecution has sympathized with the insurrection forces."
They demanded Prosecutor General Shim's resignation and an investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO).
Meanwhile, Prosecutor General Shim stated to reporters on his way to work that morning, "After compiling various opinions from the investigation team and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office chiefs' meeting, I made a decision based on the principles of lawful procedure and my own conviction," adding, "I do not believe this constitutes grounds for resignation or impeachment. Since impeachment is the prerogative of the National Assembly, I will respond accordingly if the process proceeds."
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