Yoo Si-min: "Lee Jae-myung Has Significant Presidential Potential... Just Needs to Resist Prosecutors' Temptations"

"The Next President Will Inevitably Carry Out Prosecutorial Reform"

Author Yoo Si-min predicted a high probability of Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, winning the presidency and said that if only one thing is carefully avoided, prosecutorial reform can be easily accomplished.

Author Yoo Si-min. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

On the 4th, on MBC Radio's 'Kwon Soon-pyo's News High Kick,' Yoo predicted that "there is a considerable possibility that Leader Lee Jae-myung will become president" under the current circumstances. In response to the question, "There are quite a few people who think prosecutorial reform should be done in the next administration," Yoo said, "The urgent task is the economy," explaining, "The most urgent matter is to reorganize the national economy, and prosecutorial reform neither costs money nor takes much time. There is no need to expend a lot of energy on it."

He said, "Assuming Leader Lee Jae-myung becomes president, the Democratic Party and its coalition hold 189 seats in the National Assembly, and no president has ever had such support," emphasizing, "For a president starting with support from nearly 190 seats, prosecutorial reform is an easy task that costs little money and time, so it should be done swiftly." He added, "The prosecution should become an organization solely responsible for indictment. Then, it is necessary to monitor whether prosecutors exercise their indictment rights conveniently or illegally," and "In that regard, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) should be further strengthened."

Yoo said, "The president just needs not to exercise the veto power on the prosecutorial reform law passed by the National Assembly. Leader Lee just needs to make up his mind," and predicted, "Whether it is Leader Lee Jae-myung or another Democratic Party politician who becomes president, prosecutorial reform must be done and will be done." He also advised, "If the Democratic Party comes to power, the prosecution will tempt them by saying, 'We will use our sword, we will use our sword,' and 'We will kill the other side more than they tormented you.' But that is a poisoned chalice, so that sword must not be used."

This is interpreted as meaning that the prosecution tempts the next president by saying, "We will take revenge for you" to survive. Yoo said that if the Democratic Party rejects only this, prosecutorial reform separating the prosecution's investigative and indictment powers will be easily achieved.