Geum Tae-seop to Chu Mi-ae: "Disclosure of Indictment is the Principle"

Geum Tae-seop, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] On the 6th, Geum Tae-seop, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized Justice Minister Chu Mi-ae for withholding the indictment related to the Blue House's interference in the Ulsan mayoral election, stating that "disclosure of the indictment is the principle."

In a phone interview with JoongAng Ilbo on the same day, Rep. Geum said, "Once an indictment is made, our constitution mandates a public trial, and therefore, it is fundamentally correct to allow the National Assembly to review the indictment and make judgments."

Earlier, the Ministry of Justice responded to the National Assembly's request for submission of the indictment in the 'Ulsan Mayor and others non-custodial indictment case' by stating, "Considering comprehensively the defendant's right to a fair trial, the protection of the honor and privacy of related parties, and the possibility of disclosure of facts under investigation for suspects still under investigation, the original indictment will not be submitted; however, materials summarizing the facts of the indictment have been provided in accordance with the 'Regulations on Prohibition of Disclosure of Criminal Cases,'” which sparked controversy.

Rep. Geum further explained, "There are two reasons why the National Assembly requests the indictment from the Ministry of Justice. First, to check whether there are any human rights violations or unfair elements in the prosecution process against citizens; second, to monitor and check whether the power groups are trying to cover up or hide wrongdoing by reviewing the indictment as representatives of the citizens."

He added, "The National Assembly exists to watch over whether those in power conceal or cover up their mistakes. It is not appropriate for the government to only summarize and show what it wants to reveal. Disclosure is the principle, and it has been done without exception until now."

Meanwhile, Rep. Geum was the only member within the Democratic Party to abstain during the vote on the establishment bill for the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials at the end of last year, which led to strong protests via text messages and Facebook (SNS) from 'Chinmun' (친문, pro-Moon Jae-in supporters).

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