"The Age When Irrationality Becomes Common Sense"
Jin Joong-kwon, Specially Appointed Professor at Kwangwoon University, criticized the prosecution's decision to forgo an appeal in the Daejang-dong case, stating, "Kim Man-bae must be happy. If he just serves a few more years, he'll come out a tycoon."
On November 10, through his Facebook account, Professor Jin commented, "So does this mean it is now impossible to recover the 600 to 700 billion won in illicit gains for the national treasury?" He further pointed out, "Without even contesting it, have you safely put this astronomical amount of criminal proceeds into the pockets of the Daejang-dong group?"
Professor Jin continued, "Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho gave the orders, Acting Prosecutor General No Man-seok took the fall, and undue pressure was exerted on Seoul District Prosecutor Jeong Jin-woo," adding, "The world has turned upside down-shamelessness is now considered virtue, and irrationality has become common sense." He went on to say, "Soon they might even try to get the charges dismissed altogether. There will be a special prosecutor someday. This case seems even clearer than the Chae Sang-byeong incident."
He also directly criticized No Man-seok, the Acting Prosecutor General (and Deputy Prosecutor General at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office), saying, "You're the acting Prosecutor General, and yet you're just doing the dirty work for thieves? You should be ashamed of yourself."
Meanwhile, on the morning of November 10, Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho told reporters during a doorstepping session on his way to work, "I judged that there would be no problem even without an appeal," adding, "I conveyed to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office the opinion that they should make a careful decision, taking various circumstances into account." Regarding whether the Ministry of Justice had issued instructions or guidelines to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Minister Jeong stated, "I receive various reports, but I have never given any guidelines," and added, "I simply expressed that they should make a rational decision after considering multiple factors."
However, while Minister Jeong provided a detailed explanation regarding sentencing, such as the case of Yoo Dong-gyu, former Head of Planning at Seongnam Development Corporation, who was convicted, he did not specifically address the legal issues on which not guilty verdicts were rendered, such as breach of trust and bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes, nor did he elaborate on the reasons for deeming an appeal unnecessary in these cases.
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