Mayor Shin Sangjin: "Excluding the Daejang-dong Investigation Team Grants Immunity to Criminals... Is the Prosecution Becoming a Handmaiden of Power?"

Shin Sangjin, Mayor of Seongnam, Delivers Strong Criticism of Prosecution and Ministry of Justice
"Daejang-dong Appeals Trial 'Silenced'... Prosecutors with Knowledge of the Substance Excluded"
"The Price for Underestimating the People Will Be H

Shin Sangjin, Mayor of Seongnam, delivered strong criticism toward the prosecution leadership and the Ministry of Justice ahead of the appeals trial for the Daejang-dong development corruption case, stating that they are "granting immunity to criminals."

Screenshot of Seongnam Mayor Shin Sangjin's Facebook homepage

On the 26th, through his social media, Mayor Shin directly targeted the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office for rejecting the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office investigation team's request for an acting assignment. He expressed intense anger, calling the decision "an act of tying the hands and feet of the investigation team that has grasped the essence of the case."

Mayor Shin pointed out that prosecutors who were in charge of the investigation and maintaining the indictment in the first trial have been excluded from the appeals trial, stating, "The prosecutors who know the substance of the case best have been weeded out." He further argued, "The 'mouth' that could pinpoint the core of the thousands of pages of corruption allegations has been silenced," claiming that the expertise needed to prove the criminal facts in court has been intentionally neutralized.

He likened the current situation to "having only 'prosecutors in form only,' whose very reason for existence cannot even be explained," and criticized, "The prosecution is intentionally keeping silent, hiding behind the shell of having given up on the appeal."

In particular, Mayor Shin continued his sharp criticism of the administrative 'principle' put forth by the Ministry of Justice. He asserted, "That principle is not for the law or the people, but merely exists to guarantee the safest outcome for criminals allied with those in power."

He also strongly condemned, "If the prosecution aids crime through silence and the Ministry of Justice protects that silence through its system, this organization can no longer be called a judicial institution. It is nothing more than a handmaiden of power and an administrative body specializing in shirking responsibility."

As the head of Seongnam, the epicenter of the Daejang-dong case, Mayor Shin emphasized the sense of frustration felt by citizens. He stated, "I express not only anger but also contempt at the shameless and brazen conduct of the prosecution and the Ministry of Justice," and added, "I represent the contempt of citizens who witness the authority and honor of the court, where justice is contested, being undermined."

Screenshot of Seongnam Mayor Shin Sangjin's Facebook homepage

Mayor Shin sternly warned, "You may be able to deceive the public for a moment, but history will never forget such choices," and added, "Those who aid crime through silence will one day inevitably be called to account in the name of responsibility."

He further cautioned, "The price for underestimating the people will be harsher than you think."

Meanwhile, Seongnam City reaffirmed its determination to pursue the recovery of profits from the Daejang-dong development to the end, mobilizing all legal means including civil lawsuits to restore damages for its citizens, regardless of the prosecution's recent actions.