Seolhun: "Park Sang-gi is a scholar, not someone who would lie anywhere"

Seol Hoon, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Juhee] On the 3rd, Seol Hoon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said about former Minister of Justice Park Sang-gi, who claimed that the prosecution's search and seizure during former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk's candidacy was intended to bring down Cho, "Former Minister Park Sang-gi is a scholar. He is not the type to lie anywhere." This was a rebuttal to the prosecution's stance denying Park's statement as untrue.

In an interview with YTN Radio's 'Noh Young-hee's Start New Morning' on the same day, Representative Seol said, "I do not know exactly whether the Supreme Prosecutors' Office lied, but I can fully guarantee that former Minister Park is not someone who would lie."

When asked, "Would Prosecutor General Yoon have investigated with the mindset that former Minister Cho should not succeed?" he added, "Isn't that common sense? You can reasonably infer that from the results that followed."

Regarding the question, "Is there a possibility that Prosecutor General Yoon personally disliked former Minister Cho?" he said, "I do not know their relationship exactly. I heard that former Minister Cho chose Prosecutor General Yoon, but I do not know the cause of their falling out."

He continued, "The attitude Prosecutor General Yoon has seems to be about taking care of his own people. Only for the prosecution organization," adding, "It seems quite far from the righteous path (正道) of serving the people. Prosecutorial reform is the long-standing desire of the people, but it seems like he is refusing to do it, which is deeply regrettable."

In this regard, Hong Moon-pyo, a member of the United Future Party, raised an issue that former Minister Park privately called Prosecutor General Yoon after the investigation began and talked for over an hour.

In the same interview, Representative Hong said, "We need to distinguish between public and private matters in national affairs, but (former Minister Park and Prosecutor General Yoon) met privately and talked," adding, "It was not a public occasion, so what help would it be to the state, courts, or prosecution to suddenly reveal what former Minister Park said privately in this situation?"

He also rebutted Representative Seol's claim, saying, "If, as Representative Seol said, (Prosecutor General Yoon) acted to take care of his own people, then isn't the president also taking care of his own people?" and "Do we have to target Prosecutor General Yoon like this? It is a waste of national power."

He further argued, "The president appointed him directly. He gave him a letter of appointment with special instructions to investigate without tolerating anything," and "Mobilizing all the power of the country to target him like this, claiming to be addressing power corruption, is not desirable for the state, law, or prosecution."

Former Minister Park sparked controversy by claiming in a NewsTapa interview aired on the 2nd that "The prosecution's goal was to bring down former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk."

Former Minister Park revealed that on August 27 of last year, when the investigation into former Minister Cho began, he heard this from Lee Sung-yoon, then Director of the Ministry of Justice's Prosecution Bureau (currently head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office), and separately called Prosecutor General Yoon to talk.

Former Minister Park said, "At the meeting, Prosecutor General Yoon said 'bring down' and said in his own words that (Cho) should not become Minister of Justice."

He also claimed that Prosecutor General Yoon proceeded with the investigation without reporting to him until the investigation began.

In response, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office issued a statement on the evening of the 2nd, immediately rebutting, "The content of the Prosecutor General's remarks mentioned by former Minister Park is not true."

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