Minister of Justice Jeong Seongho instructed Im Eunjeong, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, to refrain from making statements or taking actions that could be interpreted politically and to remain faithful to her duties.
On the 29th, the Ministry of Justice announced through a public notice that Minister Jeong had sent such a letter to Chief Prosecutor Im.
Im Eunjeong, the newly appointed chief prosecutor of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, is delivering her inaugural speech at the inauguration ceremony held on the 4th at the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
According to the Ministry of Justice, Minister Jeong emphasized to Chief Prosecutor Im that: ▲ as a high-ranking public official, posting or making public personal opinions on social networking services (SNS) that could be interpreted politically is, in itself, undesirable; ▲ she should be cautious of any remarks or actions that could raise doubts about her political neutrality or the fairness of her work; and ▲ as the head of a frontline prosecutors' office, she should set an example and remain dedicated to her primary responsibilities.
The Ministry of Justice also stated that Chief Prosecutor Im had "made inappropriate remarks" and, referencing her previous statements, explained, "The Minister of Justice has instructed Chief Prosecutor Im Eunjeong to be mindful of her words and actions and to focus on her primary duties."
The remarks cited by the Ministry of Justice include Chief Prosecutor Im referring to personnel appointments within the prosecution as a "personnel disaster" at a National Assembly hearing and criticizing a particular prosecutor as one of the "five enemies of prosecution reform."
Other examples mentioned include Chief Prosecutor Im posting on her personal SNS that she had "heard concerns that so-called 'true Yoon' prosecutors were promoted and used as a cover," and, regarding the investigation into alleged external pressure on customs drug investigations, that she had "heard many concerns and worries that names are being borrowed and responsibilities unfairly shifted."
Additionally, the Ministry of Justice stressed, "Going forward, we will take strict action against any inappropriate conduct by public officials that could cause misunderstandings regarding political neutrality or the fairness of their work."
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