Ministry of Justice Imposes One-Month Suspension for Missing Research Paper Deadline
Lee Junghyun Claims "Ministry of Justice Fabricated Disciplinary Grounds"
Lee Immediately Appeals Seoul Administrative Court's Decision
Lee Junghyun, a research fellow at the Legal Research and Training Institute who previously led the investigation into alleged collusion between prosecutors and the media, has had his request for a stay of disciplinary action rejected. Lee received a one-month suspension from the Ministry of Justice in April for failing to submit a research paper while serving as a research fellow at the institute, as well as for not obtaining approval to extend the submission deadline.
According to the legal community on June 1, the Seoul Administrative Court's Administrative Division 2 (presiding judge: Ko Eunseol) dismissed Lee's request for a stay of execution of the disciplinary action on May 30. As a result, the effect of the suspension, which had been halted by the court's authority after Lee filed for a stay, has now been reinstated. Lee immediately appealed the court's decision, and the appeal will be reviewed by the Seoul High Court.
The central issue in Lee's disciplinary case was whether he had applied for an extension of the research paper submission deadline. In December of last year, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office requested disciplinary action from the Ministry of Justice, stating that Lee had not only failed to comply with the regulation requiring submission of a research paper within one year, but also had not obtained approval for an extension. On April 22, the Ministry of Justice's Prosecutors' Disciplinary Committee classified this as a serious violation of duty and imposed a one-month suspension.
In response, Lee filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the disciplinary action and also requested a stay of execution, arguing that both the purpose and grounds for the discipline were unjust. Both parties appeared in court on May 20 for a hearing regarding the stay of execution and engaged in legal arguments.
At the hearing, Lee's side argued that the Ministry of Justice's regulation on research periods was merely advisory and not binding, claiming that it was inappropriate to impose disciplinary action based on such a provision. They further asserted that there had never previously been disciplinary action for this reason, and accused the Ministry of Justice of violating the principle of equality by selectively enforcing the rule. In contrast, the Ministry of Justice argued that the regulation on submission deadlines was not advisory but a clear duty, and that failing to submit a research assignment within the deadline damaged the dignity and reputation of a prosecutor.
Meanwhile, Lee is known for leading the investigation in 2020, as the First Deputy Chief Prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, into the attempted coercion case involving Han Donghoon, then a chief prosecutor and now leader of the People Power Party, and former Channel A reporter Lee Dongjae. The prosecution detained Lee Dongjae, but he was ultimately acquitted, and Han Donghoon was also cleared of charges in April 2022. After being promoted to chief prosecutor and serving as head of the Public Investigation Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Lee was transferred to the Legal Research and Training Institute in May 2022 under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.
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