Jo Hae-jin "Chu Mi-ae has a unique authoritarianism... Yoon Seok-yeol's unusual attack"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Jo Hae-jin, a member of the Future United Party, described Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae as having a "unique authoritarianism" and evaluated her attacks on Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol as 'unprecedented.'

On the 26th, Jo appeared on YTN's "Noh Young-hee's Start Morning" and said, "I had the opportunity to serve with Minister Choo when she was the standing chairperson of the Environment and Labor Committee during the 18th National Assembly. She has a unique authoritarianism or sense of authority," he said.

He added, "When she became Minister of Justice, she was pressured by the ruling coalition to firmly control the prosecution or to suppress or expel Yoon Seok-yeol. Even until a few days ago, members of the ruling party in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee asked if she was 'playing with the prosecution.' Judging from what she said yesterday, she felt considerable pressure again and unusually launched a public attack on Prosecutor General Yoon," he pointed out.

Jo said, "There is a part where her unique authoritarian character played a role, and since she was also a party leader, she might think that as Minister of Justice she is different from other ministers. However, the Ministry of Justice is an administrative and legal administrative agency, and the prosecution is a quasi-autonomous agency," emphasizing, "From the perspective that it must be politically independent and neutral, it is granted independent command and operates as an independent external agency of the government, and the Prosecutor General holds a ministerial rank."

He explained, "The only exception is that the minister can exceptionally direct the Prosecutor General regarding specific cases, and this has happened only once in our constitutional history. Minister Choo has continuously issued directives related to investigations, officially or unofficially, and from the Prosecutor General's perspective, this is considered a violation of independence, so he has no choice but to refuse," he explained.

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