Yoo Si-min Criticizes Jung Sung-ho's Remarks: "A Betrayal of the Democratic Party's Spirit"

Appearing on Kim Eo-jun’s show, criticizes Minister Jung
"Goal of prosecutorial reform is to protect citizens’ rights"

Writer Yoo Si-min. YouTube capture

Writer Yoo Si-min expressed his firm stance on prosecutorial reform while criticizing Minister of Justice Jung Sung-ho. Regarding Minister Jung’s remark, “Don’t think all prosecutors are bad,” Yoo defined it as “an outrageous statement that insults citizens who have long advocated for prosecutorial reform and betrays the spirit of the Democratic Party.”

On February 2, Yoo appeared on the YouTube show “Kim Eo-jun’s News Factory” and said, “The issue of prosecutorial reform is not only a matter of law and logic, but also a symbolic cause that has been built up for 25 years since President Roh Moo-hyun began open debates with prosecutors in 2002.” He added, “To realize the fundamental principle of separating investigation and indictment, we need to change the system, and if there are some side effects, we can supplement them.”

Yoo described Minister Jung’s comment at the National Assembly’s standing committee, “Don’t think all prosecutors are bad,” as “insulting.” He argued, “Those who have advocated for prosecutorial reform have never claimed that all prosecutors are bad people and that’s why prosecutorial power should be taken away. That’s not the reason for calling for reform.”

He continued, “The goal of prosecutorial reform is firmly to protect the human rights of the people. But to say that such reform would not protect human rights-how can anyone say that?” Yoo further stated, “That remark insults every citizen who has participated in the massive rallies in Seocho-dong since the Cho Kuk incident. I consider it an outrageous statement.”

He went on to say, “If the issue of prosecutorial reform continues to be handled with such an attitude, President Lee Jae-myung could face a very serious political crisis.” Yoo added, “Regardless of whether Minister Jung’s argument is logically correct, his remark will be regarded as a betrayal of the Democratic Party’s spirit.”

Previously, on January 12, Minister Jung attended a plenary session of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee. When Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min criticized the prosecutorial reform bill and the prosecution, Jung responded, “The prosecution under the Lee Jae-myung administration is not like that. It is not operated like the prosecution under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. I hope people do not view all members of the prosecution as criminals.”