Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol Has Lunch with Senior Prosecutors After Voting, Emphasizes "Political Neutrality"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, after voting in the 21st National Assembly election, met with senior officials of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and other prosecutors to encourage them and once again emphasized the political neutrality of the prosecution.

On the morning of the 15th, around 9 a.m., Prosecutor General Yoon voted at Wonmyeong Elementary School in Seocho-gu, Seoul, near his home. Afterward, he had lunch with senior officials of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and prosecutors from the Public Investigation Department who had come to work to lead investigations into election-related crimes at a restaurant near the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.

The lunch was reportedly not a scheduled event. Therefore, not all senior officials of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office attended; prosecutors from the Public Investigation Department who had come to work, including Bae Yong-won, head of the Public Investigation Department, had lunch with Prosecutor General Yoon.

It is known that Prosecutor General Yoon requested unwavering investigations as investigations into election-related crimes such as accusations and complaints would begin in earnest after the general election.

Prosecutor General Yoon said, "'Political neutrality' is a five-character phrase that uses little ink when written with a pen, but it is difficult to uphold in reality," and emphasized, "It is challenging to give the public confidence that the prosecution maintains political neutrality, and continuous effort and investment are necessary."

He also reportedly mentioned, seemingly aware of controversies surrounding investigations into election interference, that "those observing the prosecution's investigations always attack the prosecution as not being neutral depending on their interests."

Meanwhile, around 9 a.m. on the same day, Prosecutor General Yoon visited the polling station set up at Wonmyeong Elementary School in Seocho-gu, Seoul, and cast his vote. Wearing a gray padded jacket and a mask in casual attire, Yoon stood in line among citizens and completed his voting. During this process, he was spotted not wearing plastic gloves, which sparked some controversy. His wife, Kim Geon-hee, did not accompany him to the polling station.

Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su also voted around 8:30 a.m. at the polling station at the Jungbu Technical Education Center in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, accompanied by his wife, Lee Hae-joo. Lee Chan-hee, president of the Korean Bar Association, also cast his vote at the Songpa Cultural Center polling station in Songpa-gu, Seoul, during the day.

Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae cast an early vote on the 10th at a polling station near the Ministry of Justice building in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province.

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