Minister Choo Mi-ae Sets Deadline for Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol with Final Ultimatum... "Respond by 10 AM on the 9th"

Screenshot of Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae's Facebook.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae has demanded that Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol clarify by tomorrow (9th) at 10 a.m. whether he will accept her investigative directives.

In a statement released to the media through the Ministry of Justice on the morning of the 8th, Minister Chu said, "I will wait for the Prosecutor General's wise judgment," conveying this position.

Minister Chu has taken leave for two consecutive days starting the previous day and has not gone to work. On the morning of the 8th, she also posted a photo taken at a mountain temple on her Facebook page.

Along with the photo, she wrote, "No matter how many countless worries I go through, my thoughts only reach the fact that one does not turn away from the right path." The official statement through the Ministry of Justice was released about an hour after the Facebook photo and post were made public.

In the statement, Minister Chu began her message to Prosecutor General Yoon with the words, "Public (公) and private (私) cannot go together. Right (正) and wrong (邪) cannot go together."

She continued, "A week has already passed. I have also taken time to fully listen to and understand the loyalty and difficulties of the members of the prosecution organization," adding, "No one would consider the current chaotic situation of criminal justice to be normal."

Minister Chu then stated, "We must not return to the wrong path any longer. I will wait one more day until 10 a.m. on the 9th," setting a deadline and sending a final ultimatum. The previous morning, she had also pressured Prosecutor General Yoon by saying, "Do not hesitate and carry out the minister's directives exactly as written."

Meanwhile, Prosecutor General Yoon reported to work as usual on the day and is repeatedly considering how to respond to the minister's directives, such as stepping away from the investigation into collusion between prosecutors and the media.

A senior official from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office only stated, "The fundamental position of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office is that investigations must be conducted fairly and strictly."

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