Pressure on Sim Woo-jung to Resign... Democratic Party "Will Prepare Measures to Eliminate Prosecutorial Power"

Immediate Appeal Unconstitutional?
"Prosecution's Self-Contradiction"
"Shim Woojung Has Crossed the River of Impeachment Himself"
Pushing Ahead with 'Resignation→Impeachment' Despite Backlash Concerns

Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung, floor leader Park Chan-dae, and other lawmakers shouted slogans condemning the prosecution for releasing President Yoon Seok-yeol on the main building stairs after an emergency party meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 9th. Photo by Yonhap News

The Democratic Party of Korea once again called for the immediate resignation of Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung, who ordered the release of President Yoon Seok-yeol, stating that it will "take measures to fundamentally eliminate the prosecution's abuse of power that undermines judicial order."

The Democratic Party's Committee for Judicial Justice Realization and Countermeasures Against Prosecutorial Dictatorship (CJJRCPD) held a press conference at the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 10th, stating, "The prosecution, which should protect the judicial order of the Republic of Korea, betrayed the nation and its people by allowing the ringleader of the rebellion to escape."

The CJJRCPD criticized, "Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung's double standards?fabricating charges in front of the public while invoking due process and human rights protections before the ringleader of the rebellion?are a confession of being an accomplice to the rebellion himself," adding, "He is aptly called the 'Rebellion Prosecutor General'."

Regarding Shim's explanation during his morning commute that "the immediate appeal system for bail and suspension of detention was ruled unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court," the committee pointed out it as a prosecutorial 'self-contradiction.'

The CJJRCPD said, "This statement denies all the principles and practices the prosecution has followed regarding detention, revealing a self-contradiction," and added, "It is a confession that he is in cahoots with the ringleader of the rebellion."

They continued, "The prosecution already expressed the position 10 years ago that 'the Constitutional Court's ruling of unconstitutionality on suspension of detention should not apply to cancellation of detention,'" pointing out, "The person who made this claim is none other than Kim Joo-hyun, the current Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs at the Presidential Office."

Furthermore, "At that time, then Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Joo-hyun stated that 'suspension of detention is mostly for temporary reasons such as attending funerals, whereas cancellation of detention is a final decision on custody requiring immediate appeal,'" and added, "Prosecutor General Shim concealed the fact that the immediate appeal clause for cancellation of detention remains in current law due to opposition from the prosecution and the People Power Party 10 years ago, misleading the public into believing that immediate appeals against court decisions on cancellation of detention are unconstitutional."

In particular, "The Supreme Prosecutors' Office regulations clearly stipulate that the Special Investigation Headquarters (SIH) operates independently and that the Prosecutor General only receives reports on SIH's investigation results. However, the Prosecutor General, who should guarantee the SIH's independence, instead abused his authority by ignoring the SIH's recommendation for immediate appeal," adding, "This is a violation of regulations and a clear abuse of power."

Regarding ruling party concerns that impeaching Prosecutor General Shim might backfire, the committee declared, "Shim himself has crossed the 'river of impeachment,'" expressing their determination to proceed.

The CJJRCPD stated, "Prosecutor General Shim, who has undermined the very foundation of the prosecution's existence, is no longer qualified to lead the prosecution," and warned, "If he continues to feign ignorance until the end, the Democratic Party will decisively judge him in the name of the people."