'Prosecutorial Reform' Kim Yong-min: "Ministry of Justice Should Investigate Allegations of Collusion Between Prosecutors and Media... Yoon Seok-yeol Is Abusing His Authority"

Lawyer Kim Yong-min (right) and Lawyer Kim Nam-guk are holding a press conference for joining the Democratic Party of Korea at the National Assembly on the 7th. Lawyer Kim Yong-min served as a member of the 2nd Legal and Prosecutorial Reform Committee during former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk's tenure, and Lawyer Kim Nam-guk participated as a contributor to the 'Cho Kuk White Paper Promotion Committee.' Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] Kim Yong-min, the elected member of the Democratic Party of Korea, argued that the Ministry of Justice should conduct an inspection regarding the allegations of collusion between the prosecution and the media. Lawyer Kim won against Joo Kwang-deok, the candidate from the United Future Party, in the Gyeonggi Namyangju-byeong election, which was dubbed the so-called 'Cho Kuk War.'

On the 17th, he appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and said, "In such cases, I believe it is appropriate for the Ministry of Justice to conduct an inspection," adding, "The Ministry of Justice still has direct inspection authority. When disputes arise over inspection authority within the prosecution, it is right for the Ministry of Justice to conduct the inspection directly."

This statement came during a conversation prompted by the host's question, "There have been allegations of collusion between a Channel A reporter and Prosecutor General Han Dong-hoon, and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Inspection Department tried to start an inspection, but Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl blocked it."

Kim said, "There are inspection regulations in the Ministry of Justice's directives, but higher-level regulations such as laws or presidential decrees provide grounds for the Ministry of Justice to conduct direct inspections. In fact, the Ministry of Justice's directives also stipulate that for important matters, the Ministry of Justice should conduct inspections directly."

When the host asked, "The Supreme Prosecutors' Office handed the case over to the Human Rights Department for a fact-finding investigation rather than an inspection, and the argument is that if this result is insufficient, the Ministry of Justice should exercise its inspection authority. Is this a formal logic?" Kim replied, "That's correct."

Kim also said, "Giving the Supreme Prosecutors' Office autonomy means, in other words, granting the Inspection Department of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office independent authority to conduct inspections, thereby strengthening its independence somewhat," adding, "The fundamental purpose of the inspection system was to prevent the Prosecutor General from interfering in specific inspection matters, especially those involving people known to be close to the Prosecutor General, by telling them not to 'give orders.' However, statements contrary to this purpose keep emerging."

He continued, "If this is true, it should be seen as the Prosecutor General abusing his authority to block inspections."

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