Moon Moo-il, Former Prosecutor General, in Conversation with Park Young-sun and Others
"Yoon Had No Time to Reflect on the Role of the Prosecution"
"Impeachment Legally Clear... Expected a Swift Conclusion"
Former Prosecutor General Moon Moo-il, the inaugural prosecutor general under the Moon Jae-in administration, reportedly expressed that it was "inappropriate" when former President Yoon Seok-yeol was mentioned as his successor in the past. After a special lecture and discussion held on the 8th at Sogang University in Mapo-gu, Seoul, Moon said that when Yoon, then the Seoul Central District Prosecutor General in 2019, was rumored to be a candidate for prosecutor general, he expressed the opinion that "going straight from wielding a sword to becoming the prosecutor general is inappropriate."
After a special lecture held on the 8th at Sogang University in Mapo-gu, Seoul, former Minister of SMEs and Startups Park Young-sun, former Prosecutor General Moon Moo-il, and Yoo Jae-man, a lawyer at the law firm Kwangjang, are engaging in a Q&A session. Photo by Yonhap News
Moon said, "To become the prosecutor general, one needs a period to organize their thoughts on how to lead the organization and what role the prosecution should play for the nation and society, but (Yoon) did not have that time," adding, "I asked for his understanding not to rush as he would become the prosecutor general someday, and he agreed. I also explained to various government personnel that it was appropriate for Yoon to be the third prosecutor general."
He said, "Rather than opposing (Yoon’s appointment as prosecutor general), I proposed alternatives and sufficiently convinced from my standpoint," but also expressed regret, saying, "It is unfortunate that the decision was overturned in the end." Yoon was appointed as the 43rd prosecutor general on July 25 of the same year.
Regarding the issue of 'adjustment of investigative authority between prosecution and police,' which he opposed during the Moon Jae-in administration, Moon reiterated, "I oppose the prosecution conducting investigations independently. It is harmful to democracy," emphasizing, "It is not about who is right, but there must be someone else. Investigations must be reviewed, and procedures must be documented." During his tenure, Moon expressed his conviction that the adjustment of investigative authority between prosecution and police "touched on irrelevant parts."
In response, Park Young-sun, former Minister of SMEs and Startups and the event’s moderator, said, "If the prosecutor general opposes it, wouldn’t the entire prosecution oppose it?" She added, "But when I called Yoon Seok-yeol, then Seoul Central District Prosecutor General, to inquire, he said, 'Honestly, I’m not interested. The prosecutor general and I have different thoughts,' which surprised me." Park, who was then the chairperson of the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Judicial Reform, recalled, "In the prosecution’s hierarchical culture, he spoke against the prosecutor general’s opinion to the chairperson of the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Judicial Reform. I thought he was very reform-minded." However, she also remarked, "This could be a theme of the recent popular phrase 'Pokssak Sokatssuda' (meaning 'completely deceived')."
When Park asked, "How do you view the recent Constitutional Court decision to dismiss former President Yoon?" Moon responded, "It is legally very clear." He added, "I am grateful that the constitutional justices were very restrained in the value judgment part when writing the decision," emphasizing, "Lawyers should not express answers with a sense of good or evil. Making value judgments is dangerous."
Regarding Moon Hyung-bae, acting Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court and a classmate from the Judicial Research and Training Institute, Moon said, "Even at a young age during the training institute, he never raised his voice," explaining, "Even when discussing completely opposite views, he calmly leads the conversation by reconsidering and suggesting, 'How about this?'" He also said, "He does not tell the other party what they want to hear but only the right thing," and "Seeing how he has acted, I thought the conclusion would come quickly."
On the repeated impeachment of presidents and the imprisonment of former presidents, Moon evaluated, "In a democratic era, it is laughable and astonishing to maintain a 'presidential system with imperial powers,'" adding, "Power must be accompanied by control, but our society’s control system has weakened."
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