Norman Seok, Acting Prosecutor General, Resigns After Leadership Crisis (Comprehensive)

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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.

Five days after controversy erupted over the decision to drop the appeal in the Daejang-dong development corruption case, Norman Seok, Acting Prosecutor General (29th Judicial Research and Training Institute class, Deputy Prosecutor General at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office), expressed his intention to resign on the 12th. As prosecutors at all levels, from junior prosecutors to chief prosecutors, demanded his resignation, it appears that Norman Seok judged it would be difficult to remain in his position.

With Norman Seok expressing his intention to step down, the prosecution is expected to operate under an acting system led by a substitute for the Acting Prosecutor General. Among the division chiefs (chief prosecutors) at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Cha Soonkil, the head of the Planning and Coordination Department and the most senior by rank, will assume the acting role.

Previously, on the 7th, the prosecution decided not to appeal the sentences handed down in the first trial to the defendants convicted in the Daejang-dong development corruption case. It was highly unusual to forgo an appeal even though the sentences were lighter than what the prosecution had sought. The situation escalated when the investigation team revealed that the leadership at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office had blocked the submission of the appeal documents.

After Jinwoo Jung, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, expressed his intention to resign and controversy intensified, Norman 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 explained that the decision not to appeal was made in agreement with Chief Prosecutor Jinwoo Jung. However, Jinwoo Jung stated that the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office should have pursued the appeal to the end, but the Supreme Prosecutors' Office did not accept this position.

Chief Prosecutor Jinwoo Jung 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 prevail." He continued, "While I accept the direction of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, I want to make it clear that the opinion of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office was different, and I have expressed my intention to resign to take responsibility for this situation."

Chief prosecutors at local offices issued a statement saying, "As chief prosecutors responsible for maintaining prosecutions at local prosecutors' offices, we once again request a detailed explanation from the Acting Prosecutor General regarding the circumstances and legal grounds for the instruction to drop the appeal," and added, "The explanation provided by the Acting Prosecutor General does not include any specific details or legal reasons for dropping the appeal, making it difficult to accept."

Local district chiefs also raised their voices, stating, "In this major corruption case that has drawn public attention for years, the unanimous opinion of the investigation and trial teams directly responsible for maintaining the prosecution was not reflected at all without any reasonable explanation. Therefore, we urge those in responsible positions to provide a convincing explanation and to act in a manner befitting their status," calling for Norman Seok to express his intention to resign.

The most significant blow to Norman Seok's leadership came when research prosecutors at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, comprised of junior prosecutors, visited him directly to deliver a statement demanding his resignation. As it was not senior officials but junior prosecutors who collectively called for the Acting Prosecutor General to step down, the situation quickly spiraled out of control.

In this context, it was revealed that Norman Seok told senior officials and research prosecutors at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, who were demanding an explanation and his resignation, "Given the difficult situation the prosecution is facing and our relationship with Yongsan and the Ministry of Justice, I had no other choice but to comply with the request to drop the appeal." He also reportedly said, "Vice Minister of Justice Lee Jinsu conveyed concerns about the appeal and presented several options, all of which involved dropping the appeal, so I had no other choice." This effectively revealed that there was pressure from the Ministry of Justice to forgo the appeal.

In response, Minister of Justice Seongho Jeong attempted to defuse the situation by stating that he only told the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to "review the appeal carefully" regarding the Daejang-dong development corruption case. Nevertheless, controversy persists over whether the Ministry of Justice exerted undue influence on the decisions of the leadership at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.