Yoon Seok-yeol Orders "Simultaneous Investigation by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Division and Central District Prosecutors' Office" to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Human Rights Department... Accepting Chu Mi-ae's Command?

Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, who was deliberating on how to handle the complaint case regarding the ‘Han Myeong-sook investigation team,’ has instructed the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Division to investigate the case together with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, which is currently investigating the case, reflecting the directives of Justice Minister Chu Mi-ae.

On the afternoon of the 21st, a Supreme Prosecutors' Office official stated, “Regarding the complaint case about alleged perjury coaching related to former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook’s trial, the Prosecutor General has directed the head of the Human Rights Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office to have the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Human Rights Supervisory Office and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Division share materials and conduct necessary investigations.”

This decision came three days after Minister Chu publicly criticized Prosecutor General Yoon’s action of assigning the complaint case to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Human Rights Supervisory Office via the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Human Rights Department during the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee plenary session on the 18th, and instructed the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Department to investigate key witnesses.

Since Minister Chu did not order the entire case to be transferred from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Human Rights Supervisory Office back to the Inspection Department, Prosecutor General Yoon’s instruction for the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Division and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office to share materials and conduct their respective necessary investigations is interpreted as a considerate measure to ensure Minister Chu’s directives are implemented.

However, designating the Human Rights Department rather than the Inspection Department as the division to comprehensively oversee the investigations by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Division and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Human Rights Supervisory Office still conflicts with Minister Chu’s position.

Prosecutor General Yoon regards this matter as a human rights violation issue concerning suspects, witnesses, or informants that occurred during the investigation or trial process, whereas Minister Chu views it as a matter concerning the misconduct of the ‘Han Myeong-sook investigation team prosecutors’ that requires inspection. Therefore, Minister Chu maintains that the case remains assigned to the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Department, to which the Ministry of Justice initially sent the case.

Following Prosecutor General Yoon’s acceptance of Minister Chu’s directive, Han Dong-su, head of the Inspection Department who had not complied with Yoon’s instructions on case assignment, is now able to conduct part of the investigation into this case.

With investigations into related parties proceeding simultaneously at both the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Inspection Division and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Human Rights Supervisory Office, significant difficulties are expected before a unified conclusion is reached.

If, as per Prosecutor General Yoon’s instructions, material sharing between the two departments does not proceed smoothly or if the investigation results diverge, conflicts between Director Han and Prosecutor General Yoon, and further between Prosecutor General Yoon and Minister Chu, are likely to resurface.

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