[Exclusive] Supreme Prosecutors' Office Joins the Call: "Norman Seok Must Step Down" Resignation Demanded

Meeting of Research Prosecutors at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office
Consensus Reached on Recommending Resignation
Except for Park Cheolwoo, Chief of the Anti-Corruption Department
Chief Prosecutors Also Expected to Urge Voluntary Retirement

Norman Seok, Acting Prosecutor General, is arriving at the Seoul Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the 10th. Photo by Yonhap News

It has been reported that research prosecutors at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office have reached a consensus to recommend that Norman Seok, Acting Prosecutor General (and Deputy Prosecutor General), resign in relation to the prosecution leadership's decision to forgo appealing the Daejang-dong development corruption case.

According to a compilation of reports by The Asia Business Daily on November 10, research prosecutors, who are junior prosecutors at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, held a meeting the previous day and agreed to recommend that Deputy Prosecutor General Seok take responsibility for the situation and voluntarily resign.

It is also known that all chief prosecutors at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, except for Park Cheolwoo, Head of the Anti-Corruption Department, who was involved in the decision to forgo the appeal, have agreed that Deputy Prosecutor General Seok should step down. On this day, the chief prosecutors are also expected to hold a meeting and deliver their opinion to Deputy Prosecutor General Seok.

Although the chief prosecutors at local offices nationwide have not formally consolidated their opinions, it has been reported that there is no disagreement regarding the need for Deputy Prosecutor General Seok to voluntarily resign.

Previously, on November 7, the prosecution decided not to appeal the sentences handed down in the first trial to the defendants convicted of corruption in the Daejang-dong development case. It was highly unusual for the prosecution to forgo an appeal even though the sentences were lighter than the prosecution's recommendations, and controversy erupted after the investigation team revealed that the leadership at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office blocked the submission of the appeal.

After Jeong Jinwoo, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, offered to resign amid the ensuing controversy, Deputy Prosecutor General Seok issued a statement saying, "As Acting Prosecutor General, I made this decision after careful consideration and consultation with the Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office." He stated that the decision not to appeal was reached in agreement with Chief Prosecutor Jeong. However, Chief Prosecutor Jeong claimed that the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office insisted on appealing until the end, but the Supreme Prosecutors' Office did not accept this position.

Chief Prosecutor Jeong said, "The authority of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office must be followed and respected," but added, "Although I tried to persuade the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, I was unable to achieve consensus." He continued, "While I accept the direction of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, I wanted to make it clear that the opinion of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office was different, and I offered my resignation to take responsibility for the situation."