Norman Seok Orders 'Drop the Appeal' in Daejang-dong Case
From Rank-and-File Prosecutors to Chief Prosecutors: "Step Down"
Phone Call with Vice Minister Lee Jinsu During Appeal Decision Process
Norman Seok: "Asked to Drop the Appeal"
Norman Seok, Acting Prosecutor General, who is under pressure to resign after giving up the appeal in the Daejang-dong development corruption case, is arriving at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 12th.
Norman Seok, Acting Prosecutor General (Deputy Prosecutor General at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office), did not make any statement regarding his possible resignation as he returned to work on the 12th after taking a day of annual leave.
At around 8:40 a.m. that day, as Norman Seok arrived at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office building in Seocho-dong, he did not respond to reporters' questions such as, "Do you have a position on the calls for you to step down?" or "Did Vice Minister of Justice Lee Jinsu mention anything about the right to direct investigations?" and entered the building without comment.
Norman Seok had taken a day of annual leave the previous day to consider his position after it became known that he had ordered prosecutors to give up the appeal in the Daejang-dong development corruption case, which led to internal calls within the prosecution for his resignation.
From research officers composed of rank-and-file prosecutors, to section chiefs at the department head level, branch chiefs at the deputy chief prosecutor level, senior prosecutors at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and even chief prosecutors at the frontline offices, all demanded that Norman Seok take responsibility and step down.
It was revealed that Vice Minister Lee was involved in the process in which Norman Seok ordered the appeal to be dropped, raising suspicions that the Ministry of Justice may have intervened in the decision not to appeal.
In a closed-door meeting with department heads at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the 10th, Norman Seok stated, "The Vice Minister of Justice conveyed concerns about the appeal and presented several options. All of these options effectively called for giving up the appeal."
During the same meeting, Norman Seok reportedly said, "Vice Minister Lee even mentioned the possibility of requesting the Minister of Justice to exercise the right to direct investigations." Vice Minister Lee is said to have denied this.
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