Im Eun-jeong Reveals "Received Demands to Stop SNS and Columns... Intent to Silence by Luring with Personnel Moves"

Eom Eun-jeong, Chief Prosecutor of Ulsan District Prosecutors' Office, revealed that she was once proposed an attempt at an unfair deal related to personnel matters.

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Shin-won] Lim Eun-jung, chief prosecutor at Ulsan District Prosecutors' Office, sparked controversy by revealing that she was once proposed an attempt at an unfair deal related to personnel matters.

On the 5th, Chief Prosecutor Lim shared a column she wrote on Facebook, saying, "On the day former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk ordered the Ministry of Justice Inspection Office to prepare measures to improve the inspection system as his first act after taking office, I received many calls from reporters," adding, "I did not mention at all the attempt at an unfair personnel deal introduced in the column, and only replied that I had received a call from the Ministry of Justice that morning."

She continued, "I do not know specifically who the senior prosecutors behind the conditions were, but I wanted to request an inspection of them," and added, "However, I thought it was a time to hold back my words."

The content of the column written by Chief Prosecutor Lim is as follows. In September, on the morning of the day former Minister Cho took office, she received an urgent call from a Ministry of Justice official, who said, "We are reviewing personnel appointments for the Inspection Office, but there is fierce opposition. We can only issue the personnel appointment if we accept the prosecutors' demands." The conditions demanded by the prosecutors, according to Chief Prosecutor Lim, were threefold: stopping SNS activity, ceasing the serialization of the 'Jeongdong Column,' and withdrawing complaints about dereliction of duty cases against former and current senior prosecutors, including a former Prosecutor General who had submitted complaints to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

In the column, she wrote, "It seems these were demands from senior Ministry of Justice prosecutors, and it was disheartening," adding, "It was clearly an intention to lure a whistleblower with personnel appointments, lock them in a silent room, and only borrow their name. I am both a victim of the prosecution, which does not understand the core of liberal democracy?freedom of expression and the value of internal criticism?and a member of the prosecution. I am ashamed and have no dignity to look up to the sky."

She also said, "At a time when insiders who monitor and criticize the prosecution, which only pretends to reform, are more needed, I could not accept it," and "That afternoon, after rejecting all demands, former Minister Cho ordered, 'Listen to the opinions of prosecutors demanding self-purification and reform, including Prosecutor Lim Eun-jung, and prepare measures to improve the inspection system.' Thanks to resisting the temptation and not eating the poisoned apple, the true face of the prosecution republic was exposed to the public."

Regarding the column, Chief Prosecutor Lim wrote, "Now that Minister Choo Mi-ae's Ministry of Justice has launched, in my view, senior prosecutors can be divided into those who 'do not even want to pretend to reform' and those who 'only pretend to reform,'" adding, "I confess belatedly with the hope that Minister Choo will steadfastly lead prosecution reform without being swayed by senior officials who try to deceive their superiors and the public."

She concluded, "I will continue to do what I must and say what I must in the position I should be, as I have done so far," and "I ask for continued interest and criticism until the day the prosecution truly stands upright."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.