President Lee: "Prosecutors' Appeals Cause Excessive Suffering for the Public"
To Justice Minister Jung Sungho: "Why Is This Being Left Unaddressed?"
On September 30, President Lee Jaemyung ordered a revision of the system to restrict prosecutors from appealing cases in which a not-guilty verdict was rendered in the first trial. He expressed concern that, even when three judges in the first trial clearly determined a defendant to be not guilty, prosecutors' appeals were causing excessive suffering for the public.
Presiding over a Cabinet meeting at the Yongsan presidential office that day, President Lee stated, "The fundamental principle of criminal procedure law is that it is unacceptable to create even one wrongful conviction, even if it means letting ten criminals go free." He added, "We should not cause suffering to the entire community in the name of catching a thief." He went on to criticize, "(Prosecutors) indict people on the suspicion that there might be a crime, causing suffering, but if it is someone on their side, they let them off, undermining the very principles."
President Lee further criticized, "There are cases where people are unjustly indicted, endure years of trials, are found not guilty, and yet prosecutors appeal for no reason. After spending enormous amounts of money all the way to the Supreme Court, even if the not-guilty verdict is upheld, families are ruined." He added, "Wasn't this something former President Yoon Sukyeol also said?" and questioned, "Is it reasonable for three judges in the second trial to overturn a not-guilty verdict by three judges in the first trial and change it to guilty?"
President Lee strongly rebuked Minister of Justice Jung Sungho, saying, "Aren't there many countries where appeals against not-guilty verdicts are not allowed?" and "Should people lose their entire assets and have their lives ruined because of trials?" In his conversation with Minister Jung, President Lee pointed out, "Prosecutors try to avoid responsibility for wrongful indictments that result in not-guilty verdicts by seeking immunity. Isn't this causing suffering for the public? Why is this being left unaddressed?" He then ordered, "The system needs to be improved."
Additionally, President Lee instructed all ministries to conduct a comprehensive review of their security and public safety systems and submit the results by the next Cabinet meeting, in connection with the recent fire at the National Information Resources Service. He emphasized the need to minimize public inconvenience caused by the fire, which occurred just before the Chuseok holiday, and called for fundamental countermeasures.
President Lee said, "Public inconvenience continues due to the aftermath of the National Information Resources Service fire. Each ministry must do its utmost to restore systems quickly and minimize confusion." He particularly warned, "There are concerns about crimes such as hacking or phishing that exploit the administrative network gap. I hope this incident serves as a lesson, and that ministries proactively inspect and address any deficiencies in public safety and security measures."
President Lee also cited an example from the early days of his presidency, when he personally inspected drainage sites, and ordered a thorough investigation into whether any affiliated agencies under each ministry have failed to implement planned measures. He said, "We tend to believe that systems are operating properly, but in many cases, that is not true. These are situations that are hard to imagine or understand." He continued, "Each ministry must swiftly and thoroughly inspect, in writing, whether their affiliated agencies are following manuals, especially for security, public safety, and risk prevention facilities and systems, and whether the manuals themselves are adequate. Please report your findings before the next Cabinet meeting."
Furthermore, ahead of the Chuseok holiday, President Lee called for thorough safety measures and efforts to stabilize consumer prices. He emphasized that "when it comes to public safety, it is 100 times better to be excessive than insufficient," and said, "As this is a period of increased nationwide traffic and a rise in incidents and accidents, please establish comprehensive safety measures and thoroughly check emergency medical and fire response systems." He added, "After Chuseok, many autumn festivals will be held across the country. Please also prepare thorough safety measures for large-scale gatherings during the fall season."
Regarding Chuseok holiday consumer prices, President Lee called for fundamental solutions to price stability. He said, "While temporary measures are necessary, we must also consider fundamental solutions to price stability. Please closely examine the entire process from production to consumption. Approach price stabilization with the mindset that it is synonymous with stabilizing people's livelihoods, and make every effort to keep prices stable."
He continued, "Please expand the stable supply base for agricultural products and come up with practical measures to ease the livelihood difficulties of vulnerable groups. At the very least, in a country like Korea, people should not have to suffer over food. Sometimes, people end up in jail for stealing eggs because of food shortages, or even make extreme choices due to food insecurity. At the very least, we must prevent such tragedies." He also mentioned the 'Just Dream Center' initiative he implemented during his time as governor of Gyeonggi Province, and instructed the Ministry of Health and Welfare to promote such examples to local governments nationwide.
President Lee also called for thorough follow-up measures on the achievements of his recent visit to the United States for the United Nations General Assembly. He said, "During this trip, we secured international support for the 'END Initiative' and presented a new future for the Korean Peninsula to the international community. In particular, as we have secured cooperation commitments from global companies for our economic growth, I ask the relevant ministries to ensure full implementation of follow-up measures. Please also prepare thoroughly for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which is just one month away, with the utmost caution and attention to detail."
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